Japanese Apologies for World War II: A Rhetorical Study (Routledge Contemporary Japan Series) - Hardcover

Yamazaki, Jane

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415355656 ISBN 13: 9780415355650

Publisher: Routledge, 2005

Synopsis

Post-war Japan offers a compelling case study of national apologies for past wrongdoings. Actions of the Japanese Army and government during the Second World War caused enormous suffering and distress throughout Asia, leaving a legacy of resentment and distrust. Beginning in the mid-1980s, apology for wartime actions became a recurring issue for Japan. Repeated calls for apology from various quarters as well as repeated apologies by Japanese officials provide a rich source for the study of national apology and how public apology discourse develops over time.

Unlike most rhetorical studies that focus on apologia in the broad sense, this study concentrates on the strategy of the ‘true apology.’ The study combines rhetorical, sociological and historical approaches to address multiple examples of Japanese apology during the period 1984 to 1995. The author suggests that motive is more complex than the ‘image restoration’ theory that is prevalent in rhetorical theory. More specifically, this study emphasizes repair of relationships, self-reflection leading to a ‘new’ improved identity and affirmation of moral principle as reasons for apology.

About this title

About the Author

Jane W. Yamazaki teaches Japan-related courses in the department of International Studies at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan in addition to courses on culture and communication at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415355656
• ISBN 13: 9780415355650
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208