Social Movements and Political Activism in Contemporary Japan

Re-emerging from Invisibility

David Chiavacci, Julia Obinger, David Chiavacci, Julia Obinger

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781351608138
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

This book explores social movements and political activism in contemporary Japan, arguing that the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident marks a decisive moment, which has led to an unprecedented resurgence in social and protest movements and inaugurated a new era of civic engagement. Offering fresh perspectives on both older and more current forms of activism in Japan, together with studies of specific movements that developed after Fukushima, this volume tackles questions of emerging and persistent structural challenges that activists face in contemporary Japan. With attention to the question of where the new sense of contention in Japan has emerged from and how the newly developing movements have been shaped by the neo-conservative policies of the Japanese government, the authors ask how the Japanese experience adds to our understanding of how social movements work, and whether it might challenge prevailing theoretical frameworks.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Figures
• Notes on contributors
• 1 Towards a new protest cycle in contemporary Japan? The resurgence of social movements and confrontational political activism in historical perspective
• Part I Fresh perspectives on social movements and political activism
• Part II Fukushima and beyond – towards new political culture and action repertoires?
• Index