Nation-Building, National Identity and the Wider World

The aim of the conference “Japan and Finland in Transition, 1945–1990” was to address Japan and Finland from the point of view of similarities and dissimilarities in their development after World War II. As the majority of the presentations dealt with nation-building and national identity in postwar Japan, this publication also concentrates mainly on Japan. The articles indicate that the occupation period established the basis for the future of Japan, and thereafter contradictions between the national culture and globalization formed constant challenges for the society.