This is a dense book of political economy written by a left-of-center economist/political science professor.  Some of the chief claims of the introduction are lost by the end of the book, especially the idea of how Japan and the US are negatively converging. The first chapters are a quick walk through of Japanese social structures prior to the Meiji period (1800’s). The author is clearly immersed in Japan’s politics and economic history from the 1970’s onwards.  Lots of typos.