ABSTRACT
The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki heralded a new era for Japan’s self identity. Defeat in the Pacifi c War saw the decline of emperor-centred nationalism and the beginning of another.1 In place of a state-led nationalism that had disastrous consequences, a softer nationalism in Japan emerged which was linked to the idea of a common commitment to economic growth fuelled by science and technology. This chapter is concerned with this softer form of nationalism.2 The chapter begins with the postwar portrayal of the emperor as a family man, and the visit by this more benevolent emperor to Hiroshima. A techno-nationalism emerged that linked the consumption of nuclear-generated electricity and use of electrical appliances in the home with being Japanese. It is ironic that Japan’s vision of its future became so tied to the atom, albeit a peaceful one.
