This updated edition of Contemporary Japan continues to be an accessible and highly readable first step into Japanese Studies. It offers a wealth of information and will help students get up to speed quickly with the major debates in the field.

Christopher Perkins, University of Edinburgh, UK

This textbook is a monumental achievement in condensing a large amount of information into a highly readable form. Structuring discussions across history, politics, economics, society, and international relations around mainstream, critical, and culturalist interpretations creates a simple yet insightful frame for students to more deeply understand Japan.

Mary M. McCarthy, Drake University, USA

This is a concise yet appropriate introduction to contemporary Japan that addresses many of Japan's current problems. It also introduces some central theoretical concepts from general social science research and uses them in the analysis of contemporary Japan.

David Chiavacci, University of Zurich, Switzerland