Ideology and Practice in Modern Japan

How does Japanese society operate, and what is the key to its success? Most explanatory models assume a Japanese "uniqueness"--cultural, structural, or even biological.Ideology and Practice in Modern Japanshows that such ideas obscure the true picture: Japan is actually an extremely complex and heterogeneous society. The contributors to this study examine the failings of conventional models and explore "practice" at the micro-level of society to illuminate a broader, less simplistic ideology. They investigate a wide variety of subjects such as attitudes towards death, the role of education, gender segregation, and film-making--and draw bold conclusions for our understanding of Japan in general and of society in the broadest sense.