Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture

by Sandra Buckley (Editor)

Overview

With more than 700 alphabetically arranged entries, The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture offers extensive coverage of Japanese culture spanning from the end of the Japanese Imperialist period in 1945, right up to the present day. Entries range from shorter definitions, histories or biographies to longer overview essays giving an in-depth treatment of major issues. Culture is defined in its broadest sense to allow for coverage of the diversity of practice and production in a country as vibrant and rapidly changing as Japan.

Including a new preface by the editor to bring the book fully up-to-date with cultural developments since 2001, this Encyclopedia will be an invaluable reference tool for students of Japanese and Asian Studies, as well as providing a fascinating insight into Japanese culture for the general reader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415481526
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/29/2009
Series:	Encyclopedias of Contemporary Culture
Pages:	672
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Sandra Buckley was formally Director of the Center of Arts and Humanities at the University of Albany.

Table of Contents

Acupuncture; Aerospace Industry; Cherry Blossoms; Commuting; Department Stores; Economic Recovery; Employment; Environment and Anti-Pollution; Exporting Japanese Culture; Feminism; Information Society; Japanese Management Systems; Karaoke; Literacy; New Religions; Noodles; Poetry; Silk; Tokyo Olympics; Urban Migration; Yen

Editorial Reviews

'This is not only an indispensable reference tool for students of Japanese and Asian Studies, but is also good for general readers who are interested in Japanese Culture.' – International House of Japan Bulletin

'A most welcome contribution... [It] is eminently readable for undergraduate and public library readers, and is an ideal reference tool... One of the year's best reference works and should be widely purchased and enjoyed.' – American Reference Books Annual

'A delight to browse...A solid choice for academic libraries supporting Asian studies...' – Library Journal

From the Publisher

This compilation of over 700 signed articles, from "Abacus" to "Zuno Keisatsu" (Japan's first punk band), is the work of over 100 contributors drawn mostly from the academic ranks in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan. "Contemporary" is here defined as "since 1945," but the coverage is broad and understandably somewhat unpredictable. There are geographical entries ("Mt. Fuji," "Osaka"), biographical entries (strong on writers, musicians, film personalities, and artists), and entries for food, Nintendo, Pokemon, and even the Hanshin Earthquake and the Lockheed scandal. Editor Buckley (Broken Silence: Voice of Japanese Feminism) contributes a large number of entries herself. Cross references and bibliographical references abound, and the writing is clear and balanced, though some entries would have benefited from more statistics (e.g., "Divorce," "Christianity in Japan"). Competitors include such sources as Mark Schilling's more narrowly focused The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture and James Huffman's broader Modern Japan: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Nationalism. The absence of illustrative materials and the high price may limit the appeal of this work for smaller public libraries, but overall it makes for an inviting starting point and is a delight to browse. A solid choice for academic libraries supporting Asian studies, though smaller libraries will probably be better served by Schilling. Harold M. Otness, formerly with Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal