Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan Is Haunted by Its Past and Germany Is Not
Germany, which brutalized its neighbors in Europe for centuries, has mostly escaped the ghosts of the past, while Japan remains haunted in Asia. The most common explanation for this difference is that Germany knows better how to apologize; Japan is viewed as “impenitent.” Walter F. Hatch rejects the conventional wisdom and argues that Germany has achieved reconciliation with neighbors by showing that it can be a trustworthy partner in regional institutions like the European Union and NATO; Japan has never been given that opportunity (by its dominant partner, the U.S.) to demonstrate such an ability to cooperate. This book rigorously defends the argument that political cooperation—not discourse or economic exchange—best explains Germany’s relative success and Japan’s relative failure in achieving reconciliation with neighbors brutalized by each regional power in the past. It uses paired case studies (Germany-France and Japan-South Korea; Germany-Poland and Japan-China) to gauge the effect of these competing variables on public opinion over time. With numerous charts, each of the four empirical chapters illustrates the powerful causal relationship between institution building and interstate reconciliation.

"1141621411"
Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan Is Haunted by Its Past and Germany Is Not
Germany, which brutalized its neighbors in Europe for centuries, has mostly escaped the ghosts of the past, while Japan remains haunted in Asia. The most common explanation for this difference is that Germany knows better how to apologize; Japan is viewed as “impenitent.” Walter F. Hatch rejects the conventional wisdom and argues that Germany has achieved reconciliation with neighbors by showing that it can be a trustworthy partner in regional institutions like the European Union and NATO; Japan has never been given that opportunity (by its dominant partner, the U.S.) to demonstrate such an ability to cooperate. This book rigorously defends the argument that political cooperation—not discourse or economic exchange—best explains Germany’s relative success and Japan’s relative failure in achieving reconciliation with neighbors brutalized by each regional power in the past. It uses paired case studies (Germany-France and Japan-South Korea; Germany-Poland and Japan-China) to gauge the effect of these competing variables on public opinion over time. With numerous charts, each of the four empirical chapters illustrates the powerful causal relationship between institution building and interstate reconciliation.

29.95 In Stock
Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan Is Haunted by Its Past and Germany Is Not

Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan Is Haunted by Its Past and Germany Is Not

by Walter Hatch
Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan Is Haunted by Its Past and Germany Is Not

Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan Is Haunted by Its Past and Germany Is Not

by Walter Hatch

Paperback

$29.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

Germany, which brutalized its neighbors in Europe for centuries, has mostly escaped the ghosts of the past, while Japan remains haunted in Asia. The most common explanation for this difference is that Germany knows better how to apologize; Japan is viewed as “impenitent.” Walter F. Hatch rejects the conventional wisdom and argues that Germany has achieved reconciliation with neighbors by showing that it can be a trustworthy partner in regional institutions like the European Union and NATO; Japan has never been given that opportunity (by its dominant partner, the U.S.) to demonstrate such an ability to cooperate. This book rigorously defends the argument that political cooperation—not discourse or economic exchange—best explains Germany’s relative success and Japan’s relative failure in achieving reconciliation with neighbors brutalized by each regional power in the past. It uses paired case studies (Germany-France and Japan-South Korea; Germany-Poland and Japan-China) to gauge the effect of these competing variables on public opinion over time. With numerous charts, each of the four empirical chapters illustrates the powerful causal relationship between institution building and interstate reconciliation.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780472055760
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Publication date: 01/10/2023
Series: Emerging Democracies
Pages: 194
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Walter F. Hatch is Professor Emeritus of Government at Colby College.

Table of Contents

Preface
List of Illustrations
Chapter One
Introduction: Ghosts, Regionalism and Reconciliation
Chapter Two
Bloody History in Two Regions
Chapter Three
Germany and France: Creating Union
Chapter Four
Japan and South Korea: Enmity Between Allies
Chapter Five
Germany and Poland: Enlarging the Tent
Chapter Six
Japan and China: Can’t Buy Me Love
Chapter Seven
Janus-Faced Superpower: The U.S. Role in Different Regionalisms
Chapter Eight
The Healing Power of Institutions
Notes
References
Index
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews