Iwanami Shoten, 1995.
Family ties are a topic of enduring interest the world over, and Japan is no exception.
Still, here as elsewhere, the sharpest focus is on the key relationships formed by parent and child, husband and wife, and siblings. It is precisely these relationships that constitute the subject of three well-received books published recently, one of which has already sold 1 million copies. The younger Ishihara debuted in the post-World War II era and quickly emerged as the country's top screen idol. In later years, his tough-guy persona masked the numerous injuries and health problems that eventually claimed his life at the age of 52. Not surprisingly, the mass media greeted the book with deafening fanfare, leading many serious intellectuals to dismiss it out of hand as a bit of popular fluff.