Contemporary Japan: History, Politics, and Social Change since the 1980s

"Okinawan music rhapsodized, bloody battles retold, thrilling tales unleashed and Japan's gloom exposed - our favorite books of 2010. One of the foremost foreign writers on modern Japan, Kingston provides another wide-ranging analysis of interest to all of those with a stake in the nation's future." (The Japan Times)

Contemporary Japan: History, Politics and Social Change since the 1980s presents a comprehensive examination of the causes of the Japanese economic bubble in the late 1980s and the socio-political consequences of the recent financial collapse.

• Represents the only book to examine in depth the turmoil of Japan since Emperor Hirohito died in 1989, the Cold War ended, and the economy collapsed
• Provides an assessment of Japan's dramatic political revolution of 2009
• Analyzes how risk has increased in Japan, undermining the sense of security and causing greater disparities in society
• Assesses Japan's record on the environment, the consequences of neo-liberal reforms, immigration policies, the aging society, the US alliance, the Imperial family, and the 'yakuza' criminal gangs

Chapter of Interest: 8.  Environmental Issues

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