Japan and the Pacific Rim

7. Revised Auflage 2003
ISBN: 978-0-07-285026-0
Verlag: McGraw-Hill Education - Europe

Buch, Englisch, Format (B × H): 213 mm x 274 mm, Gewicht: 526 g

Reihe: Global Studies

Global Studies is a unique series designed to provide comprehensive background information and selected world press articles on the regions and countries of the world. This edition includes country reports, current statistics, and background essays on the Pacific Rim, the Pacific Islands, and Japan. This title is also supported by the student web site, www.dushkin.com/online.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Collinwood, Dean W.

Collinwood, Dean

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Using Global Studies: Japan and the Pacific RimSelected World Wide Web SitesU.S. Statistics and MapCanada Statistics and MapWorld MapThe Pacific Rim MapThe Pacific Rim: Diversity and InterconnectionPacific Islands MapThe Pacific Islands: Opportunities and LimitsJapanCountry ReportsAustralia (Commonwealth of Australia)Brunei (State of Brunei Darussalam)Cambodia (Kingdom of Cambodia)China (People’s Republic of China)East Timor (Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste)Hong Kong (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia)Laos (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)Macau (Macau Special Administrative Region)MalaysiaMyanmar (Union of Myanmar [Burma])New Zealand North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)Papua New Guinea (Independent State of Papua New Guinea)Philippines (Republic of the Philippines)Singapore (Republic of Singapore)South Korea (Republic of Korea)TaiwanThailand (Kingdom of Thailand)Vietnam (Socialist Republic of Vietnam)Articles from the World Press1. Looking Back, Looking Forward, Nishimura Kunio, LookJapan, December 2000.Through interviews with four leading opinion-makers, theauthor provides a retrospective of modern Japanese history andprovides insight into what paths Japan is likely to take in thetwenty-first century.2. Past Their Use-by Dates, David Kruger, Far EasternEconomic Review, May 23, 2002.What steps should be taken to rejuvenate Japan's economy?David Kruger contends that rigid rules and bureaucratic attitudes areconstricting scientific research, squelching innovation, and evenleading to brain-drain.3. Japan's Slow-Moving Economic Avalanche, Scott B.MacDonald and Jonathan Lemco, Current History, April2002.The authors summarize Japan's major economic challenges,identifying special-interest politics as a core problem. Still, theprivate sector offers a glimmer of hope.4. As Japan's Women Move Up, Many Are Moving Out, Howard W.French, New York Times, March 3, 2003.The overall divorce rate in Japan is flat in comparison tothe rates in the West, but it is nonetheless steadily creeping upward,even among the middle aged. The social changes underlying the risingdivorce rate are examined in this article.5. Parasites in Pret-a-Porter, Peggy Orenstein, NewYork Times Magazine, July 1, 2001.Peggy Orenstein describes an interesting social phenomenon inJapan: free-spending "parasite single" women in their 20s and30s--"girls" who just wanna have fun.6. The Difficulty of Apology: Japan's Struggle With Memory andGuilt, Shuko Ogawa, Harvard International Review, Fall2000.Japan's World War II occupation of a substantial part ofAsia left indelible scars. How current Japanese citizens view thisperiod of their history is reviewed by Shuko Ogawa in thisarticle.7. Arthritic Nation, Peter Landers, Far EasternEconomic Review, July 16, 1998.The conservative habits of Japan's aging population have alot to do with why Japan can't seem to restructure itseconomy.8. State of the Staple: Changing Conditions in Japan's RiceMarkets, Shogeni Shin'ichi, Look Japan, June 1997.Japan has a marked lack of self-sufficiency when it comesto food. As a result, there has been a renewed emphasis on theimportance of rural, agricultural villages to Japanesesociety.9. The Sacred World, Aboriginal Art & CultureCentre, 2000.Australian culture extends far, far back from RussellCrowe, the Bee Gees, and Nicole Kidman. This brief article explainsthe basics of Dreamtime, the Australian Aborigines' understanding ofthe world.10. Facing Reality in China Policy, David Shambaugh,Foreign Affairs, January/February 2001.David Shambaugh looks at the challenges the United Statesmust face in its relationship with China. China's power is impressiveand growing, and its profound regional and global impact must be givendue consideration--soon.11. Business: The Biggest Victim, Philip Segal, FarEastern Economic Review, December 19, 2002.Philip Segal contends that, since China regainedsovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the rights and freedoms ofresidents of the former British colony have gradually been eroded,especially recently.12. The Lions in the Communist Den, Susan V. Lawrence,Far Eastern Economic Review, August 22, 2002.Susan Lawrence looks at the rise of nongovernmentalorganizations in China. They are a sign of the decentralization ofauthority and a portent of things to come.13. East Timor: Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Alan Boyd,Asia Times, March 12, 2003.The withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from East Timor,scheduled for June 2004, will have a substantial economic and socialimpact on the fledgling nation. East Timor's troubled regionalrelationships are discussed.14. Hong Kong: Still "One Country, Two Systems"? Craig N. Canning, Current History, September 2001. Is the "one country, two systems" approach for reunification working in Hong Kong? In some ways, yes; in other ways, no. Craig Canning takes inventory.15. Hong Kong: Five Years After the Handover, BruceHerschensohn, The World & I, July 2002.The changes are not obvious to most travelers passingthrough, but big cracks in Hong Kong's foundation have appeared sincethe handover to China in 1997. Its autonomy is dwindling, and itsuniqueness has, sadly, diminished.16. Myanmar: The Politics of Humanitarian Aid,International Crisis Group, April 2, 2002.The humanitarian crisis in Myanmar requires more immediateand direct international attention than does the troubled country'spolitical crisis.17. Up to the Same Old Tricks, John Larkin, Far EasternEconomic Review, November 21, 2002.John Larkin suggests that North Korea will not halt itsmarch toward nuclear-power status so long as it meets flimsyresistance from the international community.18. A Visit to North Korea, Suki Kim, The New YorkReview of Books, February 13, 2003.Korean by birth and a naturalized American, writer SukiKim takes a rare trip to "the taboo land", North Korea. The portraitshe draws of life under the totalitarian regime ischilling.19. Taiwan: Can It Remain Free?, Harvey Feldman, TheWorld & I, October 2001.Through a combination of military threats and economiccarrots, the People's Republic of China (PRC) is trying to lure moreand more of Taiwan's manufacturers into relocating on the Chinesemainland. Taiwan's economic and political future, asserts HarveyFeldman, is closely tied to the fortunes of the UnitedStates.20. Thailand: A New Order, Edward McBride, The Economist, March 2,2002.Thailand's Constitution incorporates a battery of checksand balances to prevent those in power from abusing it. It alsoprovides an arsenal of provisions to protect individual rights. Howwell does it work in practice?21. Vietnam's Contradictions, Andrew J. Pierre, ForeignAffairs, November/December 2000.The author asserts that Vietnam has yet to reconcile itscentrally controlled economy, one-party political system, and historicfear of foreign interaction with the growing pressures for change in arapidly globalizing world.22. West Papua Rising, Chris Richards, NewInternationalist, April 2002.This report about Indonesia's province of Papua (not PapuaNew Guinea) encapsulates the situation with Indonesia's many breakawayprovinces.23. Water Temples of Bali, David Zurick, Focus onGeography, Winter 2002.For centuries, the water temples of Bali have unitedritual with the practical matter of irrigation for rice production.But modern farming methods are supplanting the temples' traditionalrole, which may disrupt the Balinese spiritual and cultural life aswell.