Japanese manga, manzai, television, advertising & popular songs are the medium for an examination of the many contradictory forces at work beneath the surface of an apparently uniform & universal culture. The author argues that this iconography has deep & significant implications for the development of Japanese national life.

This text looks at the mental and spiritual world of Japan just over two generations ago. The author argues that just as the period of isolation up to the middle of the 19th century was crucial for Japan's development, so World War II represented another crucial period for the country.