This book is an unprecedented collection of 29 original essays by some of the world's most distinguished scholars of Japan.

• Covers a broad range of issues, including the colonial roots of anthropology in the Japanese academy; eugenics and nation building; majority and minority cultures; genders and sexualities; and fashion and food cultures
• Resists stale and misleading stereotypes, by presenting new perspectives on Japanese culture and society
• Makes Japanese society accessible to readers unfamiliar with the country