Book Review: Pure Invention - How Japan Made the Modern World by Matt Alt

I read this book while on a long flight to Tokyo. While superficially about Japan, it's more about American anxiety about the relationship between the two countries. The constant undercurrent is an admiration about how Japan played capitalism better than the country which conquered it.

There's a momentary diversion at the start of the book to look at how the Meji Restoration changed Japan's relationship to the outside world - but this is firmly a post-WW2 history. How did a Japanese inventor scrabble around in the trash pile of the American invaders, to launch a toy empire? Why did Japan's unfettered success lead to fears that they were brainwashing American children? Would tariffs stop this economic assault?

History repeats, rhymes, and revolves around the same points again and again.

There's a little bit of feminist history mixed in - although it is only a surface level analysis. Mostly it is about a specific set of toys and gadgets and how their development affected the whole world. It is lushly illustrated, which makes some of the objects a bit more tangible.

It is an enjoyable look at a country through the lens of materialism. And then it gets dark.

While pondering on the success of anime, the book pivots to how US fans found a home in the cess-pit of 4chan. Before long, we've left Japan behind and are into the psychodrama of the basket of deplorables. It is, I found, a thin argument. Yes, it skewers some of the more ridiculous assertions about Japan from the army of basement dwellers. But it feels unfair to characterise this as one of Japan's gifts to the world.

For all that, it is an entertaining and surprising look at the how and why of Japan's success in some cultural fields. But it never really escapes the American-centric viewpoint.