Imperial Japan at Its Zenith: The Wartime Celebration of the Empires 2,600th Anniversary

2012 Oregon Book Award for General Nonfiction

Ruoff (history, Portland State U.) examines public ceremony surrounding Japan's commemoration of the 2,600th anniversary of the founding of its empire to analyze the state of Japanese political identity in 1940 at the beginning of the wider war in the Pacific. Discussing in detail the celebrations, advertising campaigns, song contests and historical tourism promoted by the government, Ruoff argues that the celebration of the ancient events was not a manifestation of backward looking nostalgia but rather an exercise in identity building through "reactionary modernism" similar to efforts undertaken in fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. This critically acclaimed volume is one of the first works in English to deal specifically with the 1940 anniversary celebrations. Illustrations and photographs are provided throughout including sixteen color plates. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)