The intricacies of Japanese modernity : studying Japanese modernity beyond westernisation in Natsume Sōseki’s and then

• Main Author: Er, Junice Yinghui
• Other Authors: Lee Hyun Jung
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/51982
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The society of Japan underwent a sea change brought upon by the process of modernisation during the period of the Meiji Restoration. This process took the country by storm as industrialization and urbanization swept over the society, leading to a complete change in lifestyle for the Japanese. In scholarly discussions surrounding the process of Japanese modernization, the role of Western influence has often been reiterated, as it was also during this period that Japan started opening its doors to foreign influence. While Western influence has indeed been key to the modernization process in Japan, the process of Japanese modernisation goes beyond the acceptance of Western influence. The fixation on Western influence, with regard to the process of Japanese modernization, makes light of the process and reduces Japanese modernization to terms that are far too simplistic.