Both became imperial and naval powers, in tension with neighbors and, oddly enough, with the U.S., on the far side of their respective oceans. Both ended up in wars on their neighboring continent. And both ended up successful in providing their citizens with a high standard of living. Extending these comparisons, then, is one of the book' s goals. To that end Brown employs a four-fold framework of production, reproduction, power and authority, and ritual.
Useful insights result, particularly in the political realm.
While Japan is noted for the long-lived rule of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, the British political scene was also dominated by conservative governments. In both cases, this was due as much to disarray on the Left as to electoral success by conservative parties. Nor is Japan unusual for the role of money and corruption. Indeed, in the 1980s British Conservative MPs averaged four corporate directorships and two corporate chairmanships, while facing no requirement for financial disclosure. The analysis of earlier eras likewise helps dispel the image of Japan as backward politically.