Japan's Living Politics

Japan's Living Politics PDF

Author: Tessa Morris-Suzuki

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-05-31

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 9781108490078

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The first two decades of the twenty-first century have witnessed a rise of populism and decline of public confidence in many of the formal institutions of democracy. This crisis of democracy has stimulated searches for alternative ways of understanding and enacting politics. Against this background, Tessa Morris-Suzuki explores the long history of informal everyday political action in the Japanese context. Despite its seemingly inflexible and monolithic formal political system, Japan has been the site of many fascinating small-scale experiments in 'informal life politics': grassroots do-it-yourself actions which seek not to lobby governments for change, but to change reality directly, from the bottom up. She explores this neglected history by examining an interlinked series of informal life politics experiments extending from the 1910s to the present day.

Japan's Living Politics

Japan's Living Politics PDF

Author: Tessa Morris-Suzuki

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-05-07

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1108804993

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The first two decades of the twenty-first century have witnessed a rise of populism and decline of public confidence in many of the formal institutions of democracy. This crisis of democracy has stimulated searches for alternative ways of understanding and enacting politics. Against this background, Tessa Morris-Suzuki explores the long history of informal everyday political action in the Japanese context. Despite its seemingly inflexible and monolithic formal political system, Japan has been the site of many fascinating small-scale experiments in 'informal life politics': grassroots do-it-yourself actions which seek not to lobby governments for change, but to change reality directly, from the bottom up. She explores this neglected history by examining an interlinked series of informal life politics experiments extending from the 1910s to the present day.

Political Life in Japan

Political Life in Japan PDF

Author: Takako Kishima

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2014-07-14

Total Pages: 159

ISBN-13: 1400862426

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

To understand how change occurs in politics, we should turn from concentrating on intentional political actions to exploring everyday life, especially marginal frames of mind in which people are open to questioning existing ideas and institutions. In so contending, Takako Kishima offers fresh understandings of contemporary Japanese politicians and the Japanese political process, while she also proposes an innovative method of looking at politics in general. Kishima points out that taken-for-granted values and beliefs are revealed as arbitrary when people experience intrusions of the marginal, or "liminal." Social marginals, such as outcastes or so-called misfits, are the most likely people to invoke these intrusions, but more ordinary folk are also subjected to them under special conditions ranging from the seemingly trivial--daydreaming, dancing, or getting drunk--to the more profound--war, natural disaster, or ecstatic ritual. During an intrusion the flow of ordinary time seems to stop, and the utilitarian principles of commonplace existence are invalidated--as described by the chapter on Nakasone, "Shedding Tears: Suspension of Politics." Drawing on insights from phenomenology, symbolic anthropology, and post-structuralism, as well as from political science, Kishima shows that the prevalence of liminal experiences in society prevents the reification of authority, allows the transcendence of formal political differences, and permits political change over time. Originally published in 1991. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Just Enough

Just Enough PDF

Author: Azby Brown

Publisher: Stone Bridge Press, Inc.

Published: 2022-06-28

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 1611729572

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

How the mindset of traditional Japanese society can guide our own efforts to lead a green lifestyle today. If we want to live sustainably, how should we feel about nature? About waste? About our forests and rivers? About food? Just Enough is a book of stories and sketches that give valuable insight into what it is like to live in a sustainable society by describing life in Japan some two hundred years ago, during the late Edo period, when cities and villages faced many of the same environmental challenges we do today and met them beautifully and inventively.

Political Women in Japan

Political Women in Japan PDF

Author: Susan J. Pharr

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2023-04-28

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0520309979

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Drawing on interviews with one hundred young Japanese women engaged in a spectrum of voluntary political groups, Susan J. Pharr explores how politically active women overcome the constraints that bar or limit the political participation of the average woman. The book treats political volunteers as agents of social change in a process of role redefinition by which prevailing concepts of women's roles gradually adjust to accommodate political behavior. Tracing developments that led to the grant of suffrage and other political rights to women during the Allied occupation, Pharr sets the stage for an analysis of that process as it unfolds in the experience of individual women. She uses women's images of self and society and issues of political and gender role socialization, career and life expectations, and political role and participation to develop a three-fold typology for looking at political women in Japan. She examines both the satisfactions of political volunteerism—from the exhilaration of addressing a crowd from a sound truck to the pleasure of speaking "men's language"—and the psychological and social costs associated with it. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1981.

Japan Living

Japan Living PDF

Author: Marcia Iwatate

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Published: 2012-05-01

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 1462906435

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Gain insight into both modern and Japanese styles with this stunning Japanese interior design book. Japan Living presents thirty exceptional houses that transcend function and resonate with spirit. These new Japanese homes, chosen for their inspiring and innovative designs, are special places to dream in. The owners and architects, working as collaborative teams, have created homes that are quintessentially Japanese. Crisp, sharp, transparent and light--these new designs represent a new burst of creativity over the past decade. Many reflect changes in the dynamics of Japanese society, while others represent self-expression and individuality. All of them are marked by a return to traditional Japanese materials and design elements married with such present-day requirements as flexibility, modern kitchens and bathrooms, energy efficiency and electronic gadgetry.

Media and Politics in Japan

Media and Politics in Japan PDF

Author: Susan Pharr

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 1996-03-01

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 9780824817619

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Japan is one of the most media-saturated societies in the world. The circulations of its "big five" national newspapers dwarf those of any major American newspaper. Its public service broadcasting agency, NHK, is second only to the BBC in size. And it has a full range of commercial television stations, high-brow and low-brow magazines, and a large anti-mainstream media and mini-media. Japanese elites rate the mass media as the most influential group in Japanese society. But what role do they play in political life? Whose interests do the media serve? Are the media mainly servants of the state, or are they watchdogs on behalf of the public? And what effects do the media have on the political beliefs and behavior of ordinary Japanese people? These questions are the focus of this collection of essays by leading political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, and journalists. Japan's unique kisha (press) club system, its powerful media business organizations, the uses of the media by Japan's wily bureaucrats, and the role of the media in everything from political scandals to shaping public opinion, are among the many subjects of this insightful and provocative book.

A Different Kind of Luxury

A Different Kind of Luxury PDF

Author: Andy Couturier

Publisher: Stone Bridge Press

Published: 2011-11-06

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1611725224

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

11 portraits from rural Japan to inspire choices in meaningful work, art, and sustainable living

Japan the Art of Living

Japan the Art of Living PDF

Author: Amy Sylvester Katoh

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Published: 2012-06-04

Total Pages: 484

ISBN-13: 1462906486

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Gain insight into both modern and Japanese styles with this stunning Japanese interior design book. The Japanese traditional house defines Japanese style. The Japanese, however, being a practical and resourceful people, do not so limit themselves. They know that there are times when the spirit breaks the bounds of quiet simplicity. In more than 300 beautiful photographs of the homes of both Westerners and Japanese, this book presents the art of living with Japanese style, offering exciting new ideas and inspiration for all. Exquisite homes in the Tokyo area, focusing on original and attractive use of Japanese antiques and folk crafts, are showcased. Also included is the latest information on antique markets and hints for where to see the art of living--in galleries, textile and craft shops, and restaurants.

Be More Japan

Be More Japan PDF

Author: DK Eyewitness

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2019-07-30

Total Pages: 480

ISBN-13: 1465497099

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Whether you're dreaming about your first journey, revisiting the trip of a lifetime or simply in love with all things Japan, Be More Japan will transport you to this fascinating country. Dive into the thrilling and serene world of Shinto monks, street food vendors, anime characters, Okinawan centenarians, technological innovators, J-Pop megastars, ancient philosophers, onsen dwellers and so many more. There are so many ways to fall in love with Japan. It's home to one of the world's most unique cultures: a perfectly balanced celebration of past traditions; the vibrancy of now and the need to look fearlessly into the future. From architecture to martial arts; from ramen to robots; kawaii to Kusama; ikigai to ikebana; towering skyscrapers to shrines - Be More Japan uncovers the art and creativity behind modern Japanese living through its kaleidoscope of contrasting places, people and practices. With beautiful design throughout and with each page alive with facts, history and inspiration, Be More Japan invites you to absorb a little Japanese wisdom into your daily life.