Japan's Road to Pluralism;Transforming Local Communities in the Global Era

Japan's Road to Pluralism;Transforming Local Communities in the Global Era PDF Author: 古川俊一
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
Profound changes are being hewn in Japanese communities, as historical precedents, proven models, established guidelines, and fixed rules are challenged and more appropriate alternatives sought. In this volume, seven sociologists show how fundamental structures have been undergoing change at the grassroots level in Japan because of decentralization and globalization. Citizen activism in local governance is growing, in response to new societal phenomena such as an increase in the foreign resident population and weakened local industries. Along with decentralization, many local authorities are promoting new measures to actively cope with the impact of globalization and to work with nongovernmental organizations and community businesses to meet the new needs of citizens. This volume chronicles the practical and incremental changes in community-level governance and how such change has redefined the duties of prefectures and local authorities--clearly pointing toward Japan's new road to pluralism. Contributors include Kanagawa Koji (Research Institute for Regional Policy, 21st Century Hyogo Project Association), Kashiwazaki Chikako (Department of Sociology, Sophia University), Nakamura Madoka (Center for Policy Research Information, National Institute for Research Advancement), Tamura Shigeru (Local Autonomy College, Ministry of Home Affairs), and Numao Ogura Namiko (College of Economics, Nihon University). Furukawa Shun'ichi is professor of policy and planning sciences at Tsukuba University. Menju Toshihiro is senior program officer at the Japan Center for International Exchange.

Japan's Road to Pluralism;Transforming Local Communities in the Global Era

Japan's Road to Pluralism;Transforming Local Communities in the Global Era PDF Author: 古川俊一
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

Get Book

Book Description
Profound changes are being hewn in Japanese communities, as historical precedents, proven models, established guidelines, and fixed rules are challenged and more appropriate alternatives sought. In this volume, seven sociologists show how fundamental structures have been undergoing change at the grassroots level in Japan because of decentralization and globalization. Citizen activism in local governance is growing, in response to new societal phenomena such as an increase in the foreign resident population and weakened local industries. Along with decentralization, many local authorities are promoting new measures to actively cope with the impact of globalization and to work with nongovernmental organizations and community businesses to meet the new needs of citizens. This volume chronicles the practical and incremental changes in community-level governance and how such change has redefined the duties of prefectures and local authorities--clearly pointing toward Japan's new road to pluralism. Contributors include Kanagawa Koji (Research Institute for Regional Policy, 21st Century Hyogo Project Association), Kashiwazaki Chikako (Department of Sociology, Sophia University), Nakamura Madoka (Center for Policy Research Information, National Institute for Research Advancement), Tamura Shigeru (Local Autonomy College, Ministry of Home Affairs), and Numao Ogura Namiko (College of Economics, Nihon University). Furukawa Shun'ichi is professor of policy and planning sciences at Tsukuba University. Menju Toshihiro is senior program officer at the Japan Center for International Exchange.

Transnational Faiths

Transnational Faiths PDF Author: Hugo Córdova Quero
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317006941
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
Japan has witnessed the arrival of thousands of immigrants, since the 1990s, from Latin America, especially from Brazil and Peru. Along with immigrants from other parts of the world, they all express the new face of Japan - one of multiculturality and multi-ethnicity. Newcomers are having a strong impact in local faith communities and playing an unexpected role in the development of communities. This book focuses on the role that faith and religious institutions play in the migrants' process of settlement and integration. The authors also focus on the impact of immigrants' religiosity amidst religious groups formerly established in Japan. Religion is an integral aspect of the displacement and settlement process of immigrants in an increasing multi-ethnic, multicultural and pluri-religious contemporary Japan. Religious institutions and their social networks in Japan are becoming the first point of contact among immigrants. This book exposes and explores the often missed connection of the positive role of religion and faith-based communities in facilitating varied integrative ways of belonging for immigrants. The authors highlight the faith experiences of immigrants themselves by bringing their voices through case studies, interviews, and ethnographic research throughout the book to offer an important contribution to the exploration of multiculturalism in Japan.

Japan's Subnational Governments in International Affairs

Japan's Subnational Governments in International Affairs PDF Author: Purnendra Jain
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 113431678X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
This book moves away from the common belief that Japan’s international relations are firmly the preserve of the national government in Japan’s highly centralised political system. Examining examples of subnational governments (SNGs) across Japan the book uncovers a significant and generally unrecognised development in Japanese politics: SNGs are ever more dynamic international actors as national borders ‘weaken’ across the world. Exploring what Japanese SNGs do, where they do it, and why, the book considers the implications of these factors for Japan’s international relations and domestic politics. By bringing to light the scope and consequences of the international actions of Japan’s SNGs, this book provides a more accurate and nuanced understanding of the country's foreign policy, at a time when it is pursuing a broader and more active profile in international affairs.

Language and Citizenship in Japan

Language and Citizenship in Japan PDF Author: Nanette Gottlieb
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 113650317X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
The relationship between language and citizenship in Japan has traditionally been regarded as a fixed tripartite: ‘Japanese citizenship’ means ‘Japanese ethnicity,’ which in turn means ‘Japanese as one’s first language.’ Historically, most non-Japanese who have chosen to take out citizenship have been members of the ‘oldcomer’ Chinese and Korean communities, born and raised in Japan. But this is changing: the last three decades have seen an influx of ‘newcomer’ economic migrants from a wide range of countries, many of whom choose to stay. The likelihood that they will apply for citizenship, to access the benefits it confers, means that citizenship and ethnicity can no longer be assumed to be synonyms in Japan. This is an important change for national discourse on cohesive communities. This book’s chapters discuss discourses, educational practices, and local linguistic practices which call into question the accepted view of the language-citizenship nexus in lived contexts of both existing Japanese citizens and potential future citizens. Through an examination of key themes relating both to newcomers and to an older group of citizens whose language practices have been shaped by historical forces, these essays highlight the fluid relationship of language and citizenship in the Japanese context.

The SAGE Handbook of Modern Japanese Studies

The SAGE Handbook of Modern Japanese Studies PDF Author: James D Babb
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1473908795
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 672

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Book Description
"A welcome addition to any reading list for those interested in contemporary Japanese society." - Roger Goodman, Nissan Professor of Modern Japanese Society, University of Oxford "I know no better book for an accessible and up-to-date introduction to this complex subject than The SAGE Handbook of Modern Japan Studies." - Hiroko Takeda, Associate Professor, Organization for Global Japanese Studies, University of Tokyo "Pioneering and nuanced in analysis, yet highly accessible and engaging in style." - Yoshio Sugimoto, Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University The SAGE Handbook of Modern Japanese Studies includes outstanding contributions from a diverse group of leading academics from across the globe. This volume is designed to serve as a major interdisciplinary reference work and a seminal text, both rigorous and accessible, to assist students and scholars in understanding one of the major nations of the world. James D. Babb is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology at Newcastle University.

Knowledge, People, and Digital Transformation

Knowledge, People, and Digital Transformation PDF Author: Florinda Matos
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030403904
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
The impacts of the digital transformation on society in general, and particularly on people’s lives, are the subject of increasing debate among policymakers, researchers and industry. This book explores the challenges of this new revolution, identifies solutions, and demonstrates how knowledge management can enable the transition process associated with the digital transformation, guided by the principles of sustainability. Featuring contributions by experts from diverse areas of science and business – on topics ranging from the digital transformation of knowledge management in the public sector, to the creation of sustainable smart cities, regions and countries, and from using AI for business models to food security – it provides a comprehensive discourse on the digital transformation’s impacts on employment, education, governance, social life, sustainability, values, the economy and democracy.

Living Cities in Japan

Living Cities in Japan PDF Author: André Sorensen
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 0415547075
Category : Citizens' associations
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
Over the last fifteen years local citizens' movements have spread rapidly throughout Japan. This volume examines the growth and nature of civil society participation in local urban and environmental governance.

The JET Program and the US–Japan Relationship

The JET Program and the US–Japan Relationship PDF Author: Emily T. Metzgar
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 1498526047
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 211

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Book Description
Since 1987, the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program has recruited thousands of young college graduates from more than sixty countries, including the United States, to work in Japan for up to five years. Now, thirty years after the program’s founding, there are more than 60,000 JET Program alumni worldwide, more than half of them hailing from the United States. The JET Program and the US–Japan Relationship: Goodwill Goldmine argues that JET functions as much more than an opportunity for young people to spend a year or more teaching in Japanese schools or working in municipal offices across the Japanese archipelago. This study examines the JET program as a form of public diplomacy and soft power. Through original survey data and extensive interviews with alumni, the author provides a quantitative analysis of the program’s effects and argues that it has been highly useful in shaping interactions between Japan and the United States.

The New Global History

The New Global History PDF Author: Bruce Mazlish
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134131437
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
From a distinguished author in the field, The New Global History is a critical inquiry into the historical process of globalization, which is seen as a distinctly twentieth century phenomenon with its roots in the age of expansion of the early modern world. Cutting across disciplinary boundaries, The New Global History offers a fresh, overarching view of the process of globalization that is always empirically based and discusses the most important themes, such as policy, trade, cultural imperialism and warfare. Bruce Mazlish argues that globalization is not something that the West has imposed upon the rest of the world, but the result of the interplay of many factors across continents. Students of history, politics and international studies, will all find this a valuable resource in the pursuit of their studies.

Ecological Modernisation and Japan

Ecological Modernisation and Japan PDF Author: Brendan F.D. Barrett
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134265131
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
In the 1990s, Japan gradually began to turn green and started to experiment with more participatory forms of environmental governance. Ecological Modernisation and Japan explores this transformation and looks at Japan as a case for ecological modernisation while contextualising the discussion within its unique history and recent discussions about globalisation and sustainability. It makes a significant contribution to the ecological modernisation debate by unpacking the Japanese environmental experience.