In this stunning edited volume, Ishii, Fujihara, and their author collaborators make clear how very important the circulation – as well as harnessing – of forces and vitalities is to the Japanese national framework. Combining literary, artistic, media, historical, and ethnographic analysis, this book shows us the remarkable poignancy of Japan in illuminating the redundancies of Western dichotomies when it comes to human-nature relations. It is a must-read for those searching for other perspectival analytics in their understanding of current environmental crises cross-culturally.

Diana Espírito Santo, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

Nature is both life-giving and life-taking, as shown by the 2011 Triple Disaster. This collection re-reads human-nonhuman relations in Japan, critically exploring the place of nature in nation-state building, nativist environmentalism, and political power. Feminist artists, Godzilla, mushrooms, and haunting spirits come alive in this deeply interdisciplinary work across art, anthropology, and history. These accessible essays make valuable contributions to Environmental Humanities, Japan Studies, and Critical Media Studies.

Hiromi Mizuno, University of Minnesota, USA

It is a mistake to regard our age as totally secular. Spirits haunt us more and more; the phenomenon we call grief is a good example. We wonder what to make of spirits and how to work with them. Is another world possible? This book is an essential guide to living in the time of hyperobjects.

Timothy Morton, William Marsh Rice University, USA

Inside the cosmopolitan arts and sciences (no, not in some Other place) spirits breathe with anima, the winds of life. This book shows us where to look for forces beyond secular understanding. In the authors' hands, familiar knowledge terrains are transformed.

Anna Tsing, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA