Routledge Contemporary Japan Series
About the Book Series
The aim of this series is to publish original, high-quality work by both new and established scholars on all aspects of contemporary Japan.
Japanese Rebels: Non-conformists in a Conformist Society
1st Edition
By David McNeill, Stephen McClure
April 09, 2026
Japan is often seen through the lens of an unusually resilient stereotype that it is a nation of risk-averse conformists. In “Japanese Rebels,” David McNeill and Stephen McClure deconstruct that stereotype by showing that there have always been Japanese people who have rejected the status quo, ...
Global Japanese History and Culture: De-Isolating Japan from Past to Present
1st Edition
Edited
By Oliver White, Mai Kataoka, Timon Screech
January 21, 2026
Spanning prehistory to the present, concise chapters by established and emerging scholars trace the movement of people, texts, images, beliefs, and commodities in and out of Japan, and beyond. From ancient trade routes to contemporary pop culture, Japan has always been connected. This book reframes...
Immediacy in Contemporary Japanese Literature and Popular Culture: The Supremacy of the Present
1st Edition
By Filippo Cervelli
January 01, 2026
This book analyzes the theme of immediacy and the supremacy of the present in contemporary Japanese fiction. Examining immediacy in literary works by a diverse body of authors and works in popular culture released during the major social and economic changes of 1995 and the triple disaster of March...
Basketball in Japan: Shooting for the Stars
1st Edition
By Aaron L. Miller
December 26, 2025
Through a study of basketball in Japan, this book aims to help readers better understand the historical formation and contemporary reformation of cultural identity in Japan. This reformation includes the process of reconciling the perceived differences between basketball in Japan and basketball in ...
Immigration and Quality of Life in Ageing Societies: How Attractive for Migrants are Japan and Germany?
1st Edition
Edited
By Aeneas Zi Wang, Aimi Muranaka, Florian Coulmas
December 26, 2025
This edited book argues that a new perspective on immigration is needed. As many advanced economies are ageing, and their populations stagnate or decline, immigrants are increasingly required to fill in the gaps left behind by shrinking workforces. Against this backdrop, the outdated view that it ...
Japanese Migrations to Australia: Transformation and Heterogeneity
1st Edition
Edited
By Iori Hamada, Takeshi Hamano, Yoshikazu Shiobara
December 04, 2025
This book stands as the first comprehensive English-language scholarly book dedicated to the dynamic and multifaceted aspects of Japanese migrations to Australia. By offering an extensive and up-to-date analysis of migration trends, this book addresses a significant void in academic research. ...
Translation and the Borders of Contemporary Japanese Literature: Inciting Difference
1st Edition
By Victoria Young
November 28, 2025
This book examines contemporary debates on such concepts as national literature, world literature, and the relationship each of these to translation, from the perspective of modern Japanese fiction. By reading between the gaps and revealing tensions and blind spots in the image that Japanese ...
Dark Heritage in Contemporary Japan: Relics of an Underground Empire
1st Edition
By Jung-Sun Han
October 27, 2025
This book examines civic activism to conserve dark heritage built by the colonial and wartime labor regime in contemporary Japan. Introducing and analyzing local organizations and their activities in multiple locations throughout Japan, this book looks at the ways in which the Japanese have ...
Space and Play in Japanese Videogame Arcades
1st Edition
By Jérémie Pelletier-Gagnon
October 27, 2025
This book presents a scholarly investigation of the development and culture of Japanese videogame arcades, both from a historical and contemporary point of view. Providing an overview of the historical evolution of public amusement spaces from the early rooftop amusement spaces from the early ...
Literary and Artistic Japan behind the Iron Curtain
1st Edition
Edited
By Irina Holca, George T. Sipos
September 30, 2025
This book examines the public perception, scholarly reception, and critical analysis of Japan through translations of its literature and artistic endeavors within the temporal frame and geopolitical confines of the countries that were either occupied or left under the influence of the Soviet Union ...
The Future of Humans and Emotional Machines: Narratives from Japanese Culture in the 21st Century
1st Edition
Edited
By Elena Giannoulis
July 18, 2025
This book explores human‑machine interaction in Japan, providing a new focus on how and in what form people build affective bonds to new technologies. To gain insights into the feelings, identities, fears, and desires of people in our contemporary society, this book brings together perspectives ...
Japanese Whaling and the People Behind It: A Look from Within
1st Edition
By Nadzeya Shutava
June 27, 2025
This book explores the recent developments in global and Japanese whaling from the viewpoint of the members of the Japanese whaling community, a perspective that is largely neglected and misinterpreted. Japanese whaling has been one of the most contentious issues in global environmental governance ...