A Social History of Science And Technology in Contemporary Japan

This is the third volume in a set looking at the growth of Japanese science and technology in the post-World War II period. Focused on the 1960s, the volume's 32 chapters begin with a section that documents the construction of Japan's research and development infrastructure, offering chapters on the expansion of government research, the creation of Tzukuba Science City, and the expansion of science and engineering education at Japanese universities, among other topics. The next section offers discussion of the restructuring of academic research administration, US-Japanese scientific cooperation, planning for nuclear research, and the establishment of computer centers and computer engineering departments in universities. Industrial developments are covered in chapters discussing the nuclear, space research, petrochemical, computer, auto, and food processing sectors, followed by chapters exploring changes in transportation and the urban environment. The volume concludes with an exploration of cultural change and the growth in technology, touching upon such topics as military-academic cooperation, the role of the Japan Medical Association, science in popular culture, cultural effects of television, the growth of science journalism, and the impact of the "Buy Japanese" campaign. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)