Projecting British Ideas on Post-War Japan: Propaganda, Cultural Exchange and Overseas Information Policy, 19451975 [Hardcover]

Drawing from a wide array of English and Japanese primary sources, Saito examines the pivotal role of Britains overseas information policy in shaping post-war AngloJapanese relations.

Drawing from a wide array of English and Japanese primary sources, Saito examines the pivotal role of Britains overseas information policy in shaping post-war AngloJapanese relations.

While the historiography of post-war Japans international relations has predominantly centred on USJapan relations, Britains initiatives towards Japan have been largely overlooked. This book fills that lacuna by examining Britains efforts to influence Japan through a dynamic interplay of the allied occupation, the Cold War, decolonisation, and post-war rapprochement between the two countries. It challenges the conventional view of Britain as a declining empire, showcasing its social and cultural influence, and examines its distinct perceptions of an emerging post-war Japan. Based on solid archival research, it provides readers with a nuanced and unique understanding of post-war AngloJapanese relations in the context of the cultural and propaganda dimensions of the Cold War, a field that remains underexplored.

Offering an in-depth examination of Britains information policy towards Japan, this book is a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and students interested in international history and cultural diplomacy, including those studying AngloJapanese relations and East Asian studies.

Introduction

1. Projecting British socialism in occupied Japan

2. The politics of the royal representation

3. The road to the AngloJapanese cultural agreement

4. Launching official magazines: The cases of British Opinion and Britain Today

5. The limits of propaganda operations

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