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