Understanding Japanese Society

In this welcome new sixth edition of the bestselling textbook Understanding Japanese Society, Joy Hendry and Emma E. Cook take the reader into the heart of Japanese life.

Providing a clear and accessible introduction to Japanese ways of thinking, which does not require any previous knowledge of the country, this book explores Japanese society through the worlds of home, work, play, health, religion, and ritual, covering a full range of life experiences, from childhood to old age. Fully updated, revised, and expanded with a brand new chapter on health and ageing, the sixth edition contains new material on:

• Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Changes in the family and LGBTQ experiences
• Increased interest in rural areas, the problems and opportunities of empty houses
• Use of technology and AI in different areas of life
• Discussion of new kinds of criminal activity and an increase in elderly offenders

Each chapter in this new edition also includes an exciting insert from scholars in the field, based on new and emerging research. This book will be invaluable to all students studying Japan. It will also enlighten tourists, travellers, and business people wishing to gain an understanding of Japanese people.

Joy Hendry is Professor Emerita of Oxford Brookes University, UK and has held visiting associations with Tokyo, Dōshisha and Keio universities, carried out fieldwork over 50 years, and published many books and articles on the social anthropology of Japan. In 2017, she was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government.

Emma E. Cook is Professor of Modern Japanese Studies at Hokkaido University, Japan. Previous publications include a book titled, Reconstructing Adult Masculinities: Part-Time Work in Contemporary Japan (2016), and articles in Asian Anthropology, among others. Her current research focuses on health, illness, feeling, affect, and emotion.