Comparing Modern Japan: Are There More Comparisons to Make?

Comparison with other societies is such an ingrained part of the study of Japan that there is reason to ask whether in the future that habit will die out, continue as before, or take new directions. This essay suggests reasons for expecting new uses of comparison. Scholars interested in such current issues as globalization, state making, the social position of women and minorities, and mass culture will be stimulated to look to Japan's record of adaptation and Japan's regional and international influence, making comparisons that start with the Japanese example. Contemporary theoretical work in the social sciences will lead to new comparative questions, focusing on carefully formulated problems. Topics flourishing in work on other societies, including Foucauldian issues of power, gender studies, colonial encounters, and the uses of memory will lead to new investigations of Japanese society and history. At the same time, the familiar topics of comparison in Japanese studies, such as elite formation, religion, and institutions, are likely to take on new life. As an example of some of these possibilities, the essay concludes by comparing the modern histories of Japan and Italy.