Class and Social Consciousness in Contemporary Japan

Social Inequality and Conflict beyond Class: Developments in Contemporary China

In order to understand the nexus between inequalities, conflict and change in contemporary China, social inequalities should be seen broadly (i.e. include both hierarchy and exclusion), and perceived from social actors’ perspective: as those aspects of social hierarchy and division/exclusion which are problematic because they violate the popular sense of justice. This is in line with the theore...

Divorce in contemporary Japan.

Data from the 1985-86 Japanese census are analysed to explore the determinants of the divorce rates in Japan's forty-seven prefectures, using two theoretical models: (a) the social integration model, which is shown to have a greater utility in predicting Japanese divorce levels than (b), the human capital model. Female emigration patterns play a significant role in affecting the divorce rate. P...

Legal Reform in Contemporary Japan

Documentation Center on Contemporary Japan (

W ith repeated political corruption and scandals as well as opaque alliances and split political parties and factions, the political world of Japan has appeared particularly dismal in the past ten years. Some now perceive it as a “lost decade” in politics. Political cynicism has gradually deepened, but citizen participation in politics has grown active over the Internet despite simultaneously d...

Misuse of emergent healthcare in contemporary Japan

BACKGROUND Medical care is obviously an important public service to ensure the health of a nation; however, medical resources are not always used appropriately. 'Convenience-store consultations' and inappropriate ambulance transportation represent instances of such improper use by contemporary Japanese citizens in recent years. This article illustrates two examples of misuse and discusses poten...