How Has Japanese History Been Told?
Professor Yuri Kono of Hosei University released his new book 'How Has Japanese History Been Told?' on May 21, 2026, through Shinchosensho. The work is an intellectual history analysis tracing the rise and fall of diverse 'historical narratives' developed by postwar intellectuals.
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- 📰 Published: May 21, 2026 at 15:00
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## About this book
On May 21, Professor Yuri Kono of Hosei University published his new book, 'How Has Japanese History Been Told?' through Shinchosensho.
In the postwar period, the 'Imperial History View' and 'Marxist History View,' which had polarized historical perspectives, declined. By the 1970s, many intellectuals began developing free and unconventional 'historical narratives' to pursue their ideal form of the nation. However, entering this century, such 'historical theories (shiron)' have faded into the background, and the rich narrative quality of history has been lost. Why did this 'decline of history' occur?
This book is a work by an up-and-coming intellectual historian who carefully interprets the unique 'historical narratives' of 20 figures who colored the postwar discourse space, approaching the mystery of the rapidly advancing 'decline of history' in recent years.
## Content
Figures such as Yoshihiko Amino, Shichihei Yamamoto, Ryotaro Shiba, Seicho Matsumoto, Takeshi Umehara, Takaaki Yoshimoto, and Takao Sakamoto entrusted their ideal 'form of the nation' to history, developing unique 'historical theories' distinct from conventional Imperial or Marxist views. How was this intellectual space, where diverse views competed, nurtured, and why did it decline? This is a 'postwar history of historical perspectives' depicted by an up-and-coming intellectual historian.
## Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Prologue: Tracing the history of 'Japanese History'
- Chapter 1: Why does Naoki Hyakuta's 'Nihon Kokuki' lack a historical perspective?
- Chapter 2: The Imperial House and Kokutai focused on by Shoichi Watanabe's 'History of Japan'
- Chapter 3: The logic of protecting the Constitution argued by Takao Sakamoto's 'Symbolic Emperor System and the History of Japan'
- Chapter 4: The nationalism without the Emperor pursued by Kanji Nishio's 'History of the People'
- Chapter 5: Consistency and fluctuations in Chizuko Ueno's 'Nationalism and Gender'
- Chapter 6: The duality of Yoshihiko Amino's 'History of Japanese Society'
- Chapter 7: The polycentric view of modernity shown by Seizaburo Sato's 'Ie Society as a Civilization'
- Chapter 8: Two focal points of Masao Yamaguchi's 'Cultural Anthropology of the Emperor System'
- Chapter 9: The cosmopolitanism of Sakyo Komatsu's 'Japan Sinks' and Takeshi Umehara's 'The Hidden Crucifix'
- Chapter 10: Why was Takaaki Yoshimoto's 'Kyodo Genso Ron' optimistic about the natural extinction of the Emperor system?
- Chapter 11: Criticism of Japanism embedded in Shichihei Yamamoto's 'Creators of Living Gods'
- Chapter 12: Seicho Matsumoto's 'Design of Symbols' (Bureaucracy) and Ryotaro Shiba's 'Clouds Above the Hill' (Public)
- Chapter 13: Shigeki Toyama's 'Showa History' and the modernization debate
- Chapter 14: The turn in historical perspectives after Saburo Ienaga's 'Kuni no Ayumi'
- Chapter 15: The Agora dreamed of by Goro Hani's 'Logic of the City'
- Chapter 16: The confrontation between Kikue Yamakawa's 'Women of the Samurai' and Itsue Takamure's '2600-Year History of Women'
- Chapter 17: Why Kiyoshi Hiraizumi's 'Monogatari Nihonshi' criticized official history
- Epilogue: Debates over history textbooks
## Author Profile: Yuri Kono
Born in Tokyo in 1979. Graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo, and completed the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Law and Politics, University of Tokyo. Holds a PhD in Law. Currently a professor at the Faculty of Law, Hosei University, specializing in political science and political thought history.
On May 21, Professor Yuri Kono of Hosei University published his new book, 'How Has Japanese History Been Told?' through Shinchosensho.
In the postwar period, the 'Imperial History View' and 'Marxist History View,' which had polarized historical perspectives, declined. By the 1970s, many intellectuals began developing free and unconventional 'historical narratives' to pursue their ideal form of the nation. However, entering this century, such 'historical theories (shiron)' have faded into the background, and the rich narrative quality of history has been lost. Why did this 'decline of history' occur?
This book is a work by an up-and-coming intellectual historian who carefully interprets the unique 'historical narratives' of 20 figures who colored the postwar discourse space, approaching the mystery of the rapidly advancing 'decline of history' in recent years.
## Content
Figures such as Yoshihiko Amino, Shichihei Yamamoto, Ryotaro Shiba, Seicho Matsumoto, Takeshi Umehara, Takaaki Yoshimoto, and Takao Sakamoto entrusted their ideal 'form of the nation' to history, developing unique 'historical theories' distinct from conventional Imperial or Marxist views. How was this intellectual space, where diverse views competed, nurtured, and why did it decline? This is a 'postwar history of historical perspectives' depicted by an up-and-coming intellectual historian.
## Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Prologue: Tracing the history of 'Japanese History'
- Chapter 1: Why does Naoki Hyakuta's 'Nihon Kokuki' lack a historical perspective?
- Chapter 2: The Imperial House and Kokutai focused on by Shoichi Watanabe's 'History of Japan'
- Chapter 3: The logic of protecting the Constitution argued by Takao Sakamoto's 'Symbolic Emperor System and the History of Japan'
- Chapter 4: The nationalism without the Emperor pursued by Kanji Nishio's 'History of the People'
- Chapter 5: Consistency and fluctuations in Chizuko Ueno's 'Nationalism and Gender'
- Chapter 6: The duality of Yoshihiko Amino's 'History of Japanese Society'
- Chapter 7: The polycentric view of modernity shown by Seizaburo Sato's 'Ie Society as a Civilization'
- Chapter 8: Two focal points of Masao Yamaguchi's 'Cultural Anthropology of the Emperor System'
- Chapter 9: The cosmopolitanism of Sakyo Komatsu's 'Japan Sinks' and Takeshi Umehara's 'The Hidden Crucifix'
- Chapter 10: Why was Takaaki Yoshimoto's 'Kyodo Genso Ron' optimistic about the natural extinction of the Emperor system?
- Chapter 11: Criticism of Japanism embedded in Shichihei Yamamoto's 'Creators of Living Gods'
- Chapter 12: Seicho Matsumoto's 'Design of Symbols' (Bureaucracy) and Ryotaro Shiba's 'Clouds Above the Hill' (Public)
- Chapter 13: Shigeki Toyama's 'Showa History' and the modernization debate
- Chapter 14: The turn in historical perspectives after Saburo Ienaga's 'Kuni no Ayumi'
- Chapter 15: The Agora dreamed of by Goro Hani's 'Logic of the City'
- Chapter 16: The confrontation between Kikue Yamakawa's 'Women of the Samurai' and Itsue Takamure's '2600-Year History of Women'
- Chapter 17: Why Kiyoshi Hiraizumi's 'Monogatari Nihonshi' criticized official history
- Epilogue: Debates over history textbooks
## Author Profile: Yuri Kono
Born in Tokyo in 1979. Graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo, and completed the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Law and Politics, University of Tokyo. Holds a PhD in Law. Currently a professor at the Faculty of Law, Hosei University, specializing in political science and political thought history.
FAQ
Which figures are discussed in the book?
It covers 20 representative postwar intellectuals and thinkers such as Yoshihiko Amino, Shichihei Yamamoto, Ryotaro Shiba, and Seicho Matsumoto.
Why has the 'historical narrative' (shiron) declined?
The book re-examines how a space where diverse historical perspectives competed was formed in the postwar period and why it has been lost in contemporary times.
Who is the target audience for this book?
It is intended for history enthusiasts and readers interested in a deep dive into Japanese postwar intellectual and political history.