Capturing Contemporary Japan

Author : Satsuki Kawano,Glenda S. Roberts,Susan Orpett Long
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 370 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2014-08-31
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780824838683

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Capturing Contemporary Japan by Satsuki Kawano,Glenda S. Roberts,Susan Orpett Long Pdf

What are people’s life experiences in present-day Japan? This timely volume addresses fundamental questions vital to understanding Japan in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Its chapters collectively reveal a questioning of middle-class ideals once considered the essence of Japaneseness. In the postwar model household a man was expected to obtain a job at a major firm that offered life-long employment; his counterpart, the “professional” housewife, managed the domestic sphere and the children, who were educated in a system that provided a path to mainstream success. In the past twenty years, however, Japanese society has seen a sharp increase in precarious forms of employment, higher divorce rates, and a widening gap between haves and have-nots. Contributors draw on rich, nuanced fieldwork data collected during the 2000s to examine work, schooling, family and marital relations, child rearing, entertainment, lifestyle choices, community support, consumption and waste, material culture, well-being, aging, death and memorial rites, and sexuality. The voices in these pages vary widely: They include schoolchildren, teenagers, career women, unmarried women, young mothers, people with disabilities, small business owners, organic farmers, retirees, and the elderly.

Author : Satsuki Kawano,Glenda S. Roberts,Susan Orpett Long
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 370 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2014-08-31
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780824838706

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Capturing Contemporary Japan by Satsuki Kawano,Glenda S. Roberts,Susan Orpett Long Pdf

What are people’s life experiences in present-day Japan? This timely volume addresses fundamental questions vital to understanding Japan in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Its chapters collectively reveal a questioning of middle-class ideals once considered the essence of Japaneseness. In the postwar model household a man was expected to obtain a job at a major firm that offered life-long employment; his counterpart, the “professional” housewife, managed the domestic sphere and the children, who were educated in a system that provided a path to mainstream success. In the past twenty years, however, Japanese society has seen a sharp increase in precarious forms of employment, higher divorce rates, and a widening gap between haves and have-nots. Contributors draw on rich, nuanced fieldwork data collected during the 2000s to examine work, schooling, family and marital relations, child rearing, entertainment, lifestyle choices, community support, consumption and waste, material culture, well-being, aging, death and memorial rites, and sexuality. The voices in these pages vary widely: They include schoolchildren, teenagers, career women, unmarried women, young mothers, people with disabilities, small business owners, organic farmers, retirees, and the elderly.

Author : John Whittier Treat
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:39015038024736

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Contemporary Japan and Popular Culture by John Whittier Treat Pdf

Author : Linda White
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 120 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2018-04-17
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781317201069

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Gender and the Koseki In Contemporary Japan by Linda White Pdf

The Japanese koseki system is the legal and social structure keeping record of all Japanese citizens. Determined by the Civil Code and the Koseki Law, for activists challenging it, the koseki is also an ideological structure, which has produced patriarchal control through single-surname households. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Tokyo, this book engages with issues of gender hierarchy and structural inequality in Japanese society. Studying several decades of feminist activism and critique of the koseki system, it analyses the strategies of activists who have creatively circumvented koseki rules in order to maintain their natal names in marriage. It examines the case studies of members of the fūfubessei (separate surname movement) and the movement to end discrimination against children born out of wedlock, and in so doing this book illuminates the contradictions in current family law and koseki practice that have animated a generation of feminists in Japan. Demonstrating the effect of the koeski on family, gender, and national identity, this book will be useful for students and scholars of Cultural Anthropology, Gender Studies, and Japanese Studies in general.

Author : Genaro Castro-Vazquez
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 214 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2016-07-01
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781317265344

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Intimacy and Reproduction in Contemporary Japan by Genaro Castro-Vazquez Pdf

This book presents an ethnographic investigation of intimate and reproductive behaviour in current Japanese society, grounded in the viewpoints of a group of Japanese mothers. It adopts a new approach in studying the decreasing fertility rates which are contributing to the ageing population in modern Japan. Based on the accounts of 57 married Japanese women, it employs symbolic interactionism as a framework to examine the various factors affecting decision-making on childbirth. The influence of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs), abortion and contraception in the daily interactions and experiences of the mothers are analysed to offer a new perspective on the Japanese demographic conundrum. With strong contextual information as the foundation, the book contributes fresh insight into how Japanese women perceive the idea of childbirth in a modernized society, and also assists our understanding of the factors causing Japan’s ageing population. Further, it places the mothers’ experiences within current global debates to highlight the salience of the Japanese case. As the first book to provide an in-depth examination of the social process underpinning the decision to become a mother in Japan, it will appeal to students and scholars of Japanese culture and society, Gender Studies, and Sociology.

Author : Hiroko Takeda,Mark Williams
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 650 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2020-09-21
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781134830015

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Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Japan by Hiroko Takeda,Mark Williams Pdf

The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Japan presents a synthesized, interdisciplinary study of contemporary Japan based on up-to-date theoretical models designed to provide readers with a comprehensive and full understanding of the dynamics of contemporary Japan. In order to achieve this, the Handbook is organized into two parts. Part I, ‘Foundations’, clarifies the state of contemporary Japan topic by topic by referring to the latest theoretical developments in the relevant disciplinary fields of politics, international relations, economy, society, culture and the personal. Part II, ‘Issues’, then offers a series of concrete analyses building upon the theoretical discussions introduced in Part I to help undergraduate and postgraduate students learn how to conduct independent analysis. Locating Japan in a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective, this Handbook is an essential resource for students and scholars interested in Japanese studies, Asian studies and global studies.

Author : Aya Ezawa
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2016-05-12
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781498529976

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Single Mothers in Contemporary Japan by Aya Ezawa Pdf

Based on life history interviews of single mothers in Japan, this detailed study examines the socioeconomic consequences of becoming a single mother and pursuing a lifestyle outside of the married mother and housewife norm in contemporary Japan.

Author : Niccolò Lollini
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 163 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2023-10-27
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781000993578

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Becoming a Farmer in Contemporary Japan by Niccolò Lollini Pdf

Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in an agricultural cooperative running a training programme for aspiring farmers, this book explores the possibilities of agrarian and land-based modes of livelihood in contemporary Japan. The book is organised around the four key hurdles faced by new agricultural entrants: the acquisition of land and housing, farming know-how, capital, and market outlets. New farmers look with fresh eyes at agricultural issues, and their experiences provide a vantage point over the institutions shaping rural and agricultural life. The book documents the mounting problem of land and house abandonment in regional Japan, the role of agriculture in the revitalisation of rural communities, and the transformation of Japan’s agrifood system. To avoid reinforcing Japan’s exceptionalism, agricultural policy, farming practices, and fresh food distribution are analysed from a comparative perspective, shedding new light on processes of agrarian change in developed market economies. Providing an in-depth insight into pro-rural migration in the face of Japan’s shrinking regions and its declining agricultural sector, this book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of Japanese society, agrarian policy, and rural sociology.

Author : Satoshi Toyosaki,Shinsuke Eguchi
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 244 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2017-02-24
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781315516929

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Intercultural Communication in Japan by Satoshi Toyosaki,Shinsuke Eguchi Pdf

Japan is heterogeneous and culturally diverse, both historically through ancient waves of immigration and in recent years due to its foreign relations and internationalization. However, Japan has socially, culturally, politically, and intellectually constructed a distinct and homogeneous identity. More recently, this identity construction has been rightfully questioned and challenged by Japan’s culturally diverse groups. This book explores the discursive systems of cultural identities that regenerate the illusion of Japan as a homogeneous nation. Contributors from a variety of disciplines and methodological approaches investigate the ways in which Japan’s homogenizing discourses are challenged and modified by counter-homogeneous message systems. They examine the discursive push-and-pull between homogenizing and heterogenizing vectors, found in domestic and transnational contexts and mobilized by various identity politics, such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, foreign status, nationality, multiculturalism, and internationalization. After offering a careful and critical analysis, the book calls for a complicating of Japan’s homogenizing discourses in nuanced and contextual ways, with an explicit goal of working towards a culturally diverse Japan. Taking a critical intercultural communication perspective, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of Japanese Studies, Japanese Culture and Japanese Society.

Author : Marco Bohr
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 329 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2022-12-01
Category : Art
ISBN : 9781350186781

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Capture Japan by Marco Bohr Pdf

Capture Japan investigates the formation of visual tropes and how these have contributed to perceptions of Japan in the global imagination. The book proposes that images are not incidental in the formation of such perceptions, but central to notions about identity, history and memory. From a tentative western ally in 1952 to a 'soft power' superpower with a huge global influence in the 21st century, the book locates questions about Japan in the global imagination to the country's transforming geopolitical position. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, with a multiplicity of perspectives from around the world, Capture Japan goes beyond binarisms to uncover how images can also produce discourses that challenge, subvert or even contradict each other. The word 'capture' in the title of the book recognises both the deeply problematic role that images have played in relation to colonialism, as well as the potential dominance that visual spectacles can wield in a contemporary context. Diverse essays from a wide range of perspectives investigate the institutional framework that has allowed certain types of images of Japan to be promoted, while others have been suppressed. In doing so, the book points to a vast network of images that have shaped the perception of Japan both from within and from outside, revealing how these images are inextricably linked to wider ideological, political, cultural or economic agendas.

Author : John K. Nelson
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 322 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2013-10-31
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780824838348

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Experimental Buddhism by John K. Nelson Pdf

Based on ethnographic fieldwork and archival research, it is one of the first studies to give readers a sense of what is happening on the front lines as a growing number of Buddhist priests try to reboot their roles and traditions to gain greater significance in Japanese society. The book profiles innovative as well as controversial responses to the challenges facing Buddhist priests. From traditional activities (conducting memorial rituals; supporting residences for the elderly and infirm; providing relief for victims of natural disasters) to more creative ones (collaborating in suicide prevention efforts; holding symposia and concerts on temple precincts; speaking out against nuclear power following Japan’s 2011 earthquake; opening cafés, storefront temples, and pubs; even staging fashion shows with priests on the runway), more progressive members of Japan’s Buddhist clergy are trying to navigate a path leading towards renewed relevance in society. An additional challenge is to avoid alienating older patrons while trying to attract younger ones vital to the future of their temples. The work’s central theme of “experimental Buddhism”provides a fresh perspective to understand how priests and other individuals employ Buddhist traditions in selective and pragmatic ways. Using these inventive approaches during a time of crisis and transition for Japanese temple Buddhism, priests and practitioners from all denominations seek solutions that not only can revitalize their religious traditions but also influence society and their fellow citizens in positive ways.

Author : Wolfram Manzenreiter,Barbara Holthus
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 262 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2017-03-27
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781317352730

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Happiness and the Good Life in Japan by Wolfram Manzenreiter,Barbara Holthus Pdf

Contemporary Japan is in a state of transition, caused by the forces of globalization that are derailing its ailing economy, stalemating the political establishment and generating alternative lifestyles and possibilities of the self. Amongst this nascent change, Japanese society is confronted with new challenges to answer the fundamental question of how to live a good life of meaning, purpose and value. This book, based on extensive fieldwork and original research, considers how specific groups of Japanese people view and strive for the pursuit of happiness. It examines the importance of relationships, family, identity, community and self-fulfilment, amongst other factors. The book demonstrates how the act of balancing social norms and agency is at the root of the growing diversity of experiencing happiness in Japan today.

Author : Donald Richie
Publisher : Stone Bridge Press
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 1998-07-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9780962813740

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A Lateral View by Donald Richie Pdf

A revealing look at the Japanese through the window of their contemporary culture.

Author : Carola Hommerich,Naoki Sudo,Toru Kikkawa
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2020-10-15
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781000203592

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Social Change in Japan, 1989-2019 by Carola Hommerich,Naoki Sudo,Toru Kikkawa Pdf

Based on extensive survey data, this book examines how the population of Japan has experienced and processed three decades of rapid social change from the highly egalitarian high growth economy of the 1980s to the economically stagnating and demographically shrinking gap society of the 2010s. It discusses social attitudes and values towards, for example, work, gender roles, family, welfare and politics, highlighting certain subgroups which have been particularly affected by societal changes. It explores social consciousness and concludes that although many Japanese people identify as middle class, their reasons for doing so have changed over time, with the result that the optimistic view prevailing in the 1980s, confident of upward mobility, has been replaced by people having a much more realistic view of their social status.

Author : Brigitte Steger,Angelika Koch
Publisher : LIT Verlag Münster
Page : 233 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9783643909558

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Cool Japanese Men by Brigitte Steger,Angelika Koch Pdf

Japanese men are becoming cool. The suit-and-tie salaryman remodels himself with beauty treatments and 'cool biz' fashion. Loyal company soldiers are reborn as cool, attentive fathers. Hip hop dance is as manly as martial arts. Could it even be cool for middle-aged men to idolize teenage girl popstars? This collection of studies from the University of Cambridge provides fascinating insights into the contemporary lives of Japanese men as it looks behind the image of 'Cool Japan.' (Series: Japanese Studies / Japanologie, Vol. 6) [Subject: Japanese Studies, Cultural Studies]