Customer Reviews

Men and Masculinities in Contemporary Japan: Dislocating the Salaryman Doxa (Nissan Institute/Routledge Japanese Studies)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the subtitle of this anthology clearly states, the editors and contributors are trying to show that not all Japanese men are middle-class, company-oriented, gender-typical, childcare-shunning, heterosexual males in intraethnic marriages. However, it still indicates how the Japanese law presumes that the salaryman is the national everyman.

Typically, books discuss either women, gay men, transgenders, and gender rebels separately and exclusively. This books peels the layers of the onion discussing most every aspect of gender- and sexual diversity. One chapter on transgenders discusses gay men and some gender-typical gay male readers may be offended by the equation, however.

This anthology had a good mix of male and female contributors ranging from Europe, the United States, and Asia. Thus, this is a book about "us" and "them." However, because many writers had American ties and I hear that Japanese students learning English are taught the American style, I was surprised this book was written in British English (dare I say "the Queen's English"?) Examples of this include s's instead of z's ("theorise"), titles not punctuated (Mr, Dr), and none the less not spelled as one word. As diverse as the contributors were, they pretty much relied upon academic quotes from Western scholars (Butler, Connell, Foucault, Halberstam, etc.) I am not sure whether this means Japanese scholars are not producing work on gender diversity or that the contributors themselves are at the forefront of this field.

The last three chapters are from Japanese in political organizations (gay activists, fathers' responsibilities and rights advocates, those unlearning domestic violence). The two chapters before that concern working-class Japanese men. The first half of the book could have been organized as well. Therefore, I am surprised that the editors not to break the chapters into parts and have commentaries at the beginning of each.

Given its size and power (despite the recession oft-mentioned by the authors), it should come as no surprise that Japan is diverse in terms of gender, class, biological sex, and sexual orientation. Still, claims of homogeneity within and outside of its shores persist for Japan. Finally, a book chips away at this inaccuracy. I would really like to hear what Japanese nationals think about this text.