Masao Maruyama was the most influential and respected political thinker in post-WWII Japan. He believed that the collective mentality, inherent in the traditional Japanese way of thinking, was a key reason for the defeat in WWII and was convinced that such thought needed to be modernized. In this book Fumiko Sasaki argues that the cause of the prolonged political, economic and social decline in Japan since the early 1990s can be explained by the same characteristics Maruyama identified after 1945.

Fumiko Sasaki is a Professor in International Relations and Global Studies.

1. Introduction: Masao Maruyama 2. Analyzing the Causes of the Fifteen Year War 3. Creating Modern Man: The Basis of National Security 4. Establishing Political Realism: Guidance to National Security 5. Advocating Unarmed Neutrality 6. Defending Democracy: A Prerequisite of National Security 7. Conclusion: Predicting the Second Defeat