Cinema of Discontent: Representations of Japan's High-Speed Growth

Uses popular films to reveal the tensions generated during Japan's postwar "economic miracle," challenging the prevailing view that it was a story of great national success.

From the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s, Japan experienced an unprecedented level of economic growth, transforming itself from a war-devastated country to a global economic power. Our image of postwar Japan has been shaped by this event, and we tend to see its history as a story of great national success. Cinema of Disconten...