The Great Earthquake of 1923 left much of Tokyo desolate. Shitamachi, the Low City, heart of Tokyo's cultural life for centuries, was a smoking ruin--hundreds of blocks of wooden dwellings, teahouses, and entertainment quarters gone forever. Yet Tokyo was a city that would not die. Here, in his brilliant sequel to "Low City, High City: Tokyo from Edo to the Earthquake," Edward Seidensticker carries the story of this irrepressible metropolis forward to the present, showing it rising not only from the disaster of the earthquake but a second time, from the still more serious catastrophe of 1945, to become a city in which skyscrapers stand in the midst of neighborhoods jammed full of little bars and "soaplands," baseball is the national sport, one can spend $500 on a meal, the best subway system in the world is matched by the worst traffic jams, and only a multimillionaire can afford to buy a house. Exciting, horrifying, utterly distinctive, modern Tokyo comes to life in "Tokyo Rising" as never before.
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Instead of an economic or sociologic determination, [Seidensticker] focuses on the effect upon society of the disappearance of this theater building, that cafe, those geisha houses, markets, and other landmarks, and their replacement stores, subways, and so on... Packed with original material and insights, [this book is] invaluable to scholars, students, and Tokyophiles.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Modern Social History of Tokyo
11 April 2000
By "kumachan"
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Compared to "High City, Low City", this book is not nearly as enjoyable, only because the post-war history of the city is slightly less enjoyable to read.My only gripe with the book is that Sidensticker has an annoying tendency to translate some place names into English. They would be better left in Japanese romanization.
The book is beginning to show it's age, but it is a tall order to keep up with changes in Tokyo.I would suggest reading Peter Poham's "Tokyo: The City at the End of the World" as a companion volume to what Seidensticker writes of.Both are great books, but Seidensticker concentates on the people and events that shaped the post war history of the city. Popham's strength is in the architecture and town planning of the city.
It's a very enjoyable read, though : think of it as a biography.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent companion volume to "Low City, High City"
24 Mar 2000
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
"Tokyo Rising" is a must-read for those wishing to understand the historical development of a city which Americans need to know better. The author's affection for and comprehension of Tokyo's qualities, both positive and negative, comes through in this highly readable descriptive analysis of how the city evolved from the time of the 1923 earthquake through the firebombings of World War Two up to the present. What comes through most strikingly is the transitional nature of the city, which has constantly undergone change in its rapid evolution to world-class status, and how these changes have affected the everyday lives of its inhabitants. The inclusion of accounts from the memoirs of Tokyo residents who lived through the period under discussion gives a sense of personal immediacy rare in urban histories. Affectionate and often humorous, this book both describes and humanizes an often bewildering metropolis which challenges the visitor to discover its hidden beauty. "Tokyo Rising" is a great help in finding it.
4 of 9 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Tokyo Out of Focus
19 Nov 2000
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I read a great deal of history and have seldom found a book less coherent. The author doesn't seem able to stay with a consistent theme other than in the most general way. His prose wonders aimlessly through chapters, even losing itself sometimes within a single sentence. His announced intentions for the book are intriguing, but the execution is deflating.
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