Japan, Indonesia and the war: myths and realities
Peter Post, Elly Touwen-Bouwsma (ed.)

In view of the drastic social and economic changes in post-war Southeast Asia especially in the past twenty years, and of the related changes in the study of the history of the area, the editors of this volume felt that a fresh approach to the history of the three-year period 1942-1945 of Japanese rule in Southeast Asia was needed.

So far in the study of modern Indonesian history, the analytical framework has been characterized by a stereotypical and sometimes misleading, division into three discrete periods: colonial, Japanese, and revolutionary. This volume takes a different approach, tackling the question of how the Japanese period fits into the wider history of the Netherlands East Indies/Indonesia. The Japanese military interregnum this is viewed as an integral part of a long-term proces of change in Southeast Asia and is analysed as such.

Although differentiating in scope and subject matter, the essays all show that matters were far more complex than has previously been assumed. On the basis of recent research the authors emphasize institutional change, focusing on interethnic relations, the growth of modern-style businesses, and other economic aspects. They reflect a new historical approach in that they are aimed at reconstructing the history of Indonesia during Japanese rule in the context of the long-term history of the archipelago, assigning a more central role to Japan.