Japan: Land Of The Rising Sun

From the producers of The Rise & Fall of the Soviet Union (reviewed in our July-August 1992 issue) and China: The History and the Mystery (reviewed in our November 1992 issue), this latest effort chronicles the history and samples the culture of the land of the rising sun: Japan. A small and insular country (99.4% of the 124 million people living in Japan are Japanese), Japan consists of four main islands as well as a host of smaller ones and, as every American knows, boasts one of the strongest (though presently slipping) economies in the world. The first volume of this two-tape series looks at the history of Japan, from the early dynasties to the great Samurai period to the Meiji restoration and subsequent opening of the country to the West. Along the way, the program features mini-looks at both the Shinto and Buddhist religions, the misunderstood geisha profession, the creation of a Samurai sword, and festivals celebrating fire and water spirits. Volume 1 closes with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The second volume chronicles the horrors of WWII, including the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, explores the rise of Japan's consumer electronics industry (which leads the world), takes a ride on the amazing "bullet train" which runs upwards of 170 mph, and visits a Noh theater performance. In addition, the program examines a few areas in which the Japanese have been criticized: notably, the poor regulation of their fishing industry, and their treatment of women as second-class citizens. Although the programs are built using stock footage (rather than new), the choices are well made and the overlaid narration covers a lot of interesting material. Too, interest in Japan is particularly keen right now with the popularity of Michael Crichton's provocative thriller/critique Rising Sun. Recommended. (Available from: Library Distributors of America, P.O. Box 97598, Las Vegas, NV 89193-7598; (800) 966-5130.)