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"John Lie has his finger on the pulse of Japanese society. His portrayal of contemporary Japanese society is vivid, accurate, and insightful. When a big swath of Japan Studies focuses on niche issues and margins of Japanese society, this book examines the lives of regular Japanese folk and offers an exceedingly illuminating, literate, and accessible description of how Japanese people live their daily lives guided by various values toward a sustainable living—finding happiness in ordinary life, staying modest, not bothering others, and commitment to excellence in one's craft. It is a pleasure to read and a must-read for readers interested in contemporary Japan, the state of advanced capitalist societies, and a sustainable way forward in a post-growth society."—Kiyoteru Tsutsui, Professor of Sociology, Stanford University
About the author
John Lie is C.K. Cho Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Summary
By the late twentieth century, Japan had gained worldwide attention as an economic powerhouse. Having miraculously risen from the ashes of World War II, it was seen by many as a country to be admired if not emulated. But by the early 1990s, that bubble burst in spectacular fashion. The Japanese economic miracle was over. In this book, John Lie argues that in many ways the Japan of today has the potential to be even more significant than it was four decades ago. As countries face the prospect of a world with decreasing economic growth and increasing environmental dangers, Japan offers a unique glimpse into what a viable future might look like—one in which people acknowledge the limits of the economy and environment while championing meaningful and sustainable ways of working and living. Beneath and beyond the rhetoric of growth, some Japanese are leading sustainable lives and creating a sustainable society. Though he does not prescribe a one-size-fits-all cure for the world, Lie makes the compelling case that contemporary Japanese society offers a possibility for how other nations might begin to valorize everyday life and cultivate ordinary virtues.
