JAPAN AND PACIFIC INTEGRATION: Pacific Romances 1968-1996, by Pekka Korhonen. London/New York: Routledge, 1998, 246 pp., $50 (cloth).

The title of this book suggests that it is about the integration of the Asia-Pacific area, about regionalism, and about the role Japan plays in this process.

But what does the subtitle mean? It speaks of romances, specifically "Pacific romances." Does that mean it is about hula dances and sunsets under palm trees?

The chapter titles also reveal that, if the author is indeed concerned with Asia-Pacific integration, his approach is not quite what one would expect when political and economic activities are going to be discussed.