Japan was as quick to convince herself of the advantages of Western civilization as she was to realize the inevitability of reopening the country to commercial and diplomatic intercourse with the rest of the world -- adapted from the preface.

The Japanese people --The Japanese political heritage -- Japanese political behavior -- Dynamics of Japanese politics -- Constitutional development and structure -- The Emperor : the nation's symbol and rallying point -- The Prime Minister and his cabinet -- The Diet : where policies are debated and decided -- The Diet in action -- The development and nature of Japanese political parties -- How the political parties function -- Electing the policy makers -- The bureaucracy in the Japanese scheme -- National economy and general welfare -- The citizen, law, and the courts -- Relations with the outside world.