This is a tremendous book and should jump the queue of all those books on contemporary Japan you have been intending to read. The editors deserve kudos for putting together a stellar group of specialists and our gratitude for making them abandon the usually scholarly trappings.
The chapters are written in an accessible and thoughtful style and focus on explaining various aspects of culture and society for nonspecialists. This academic-lite approach is a welcome relief from the usual trudge through a specialists' tome, jettisoning the disciplinary discourse without sacrificing the insights. Lucidly written, this is an ideal book for undergraduate classes as it includes a glossary, bibliography and comprehensive list of relevant websites. Experts will also find this a rewarding collection.
The volume is divided into three parts: (1) Social Foundations, (2) Class, Identity, and Status, and (3) Cool Japan. Each chapter is an overview of a specific subject on post-World War II Japan ranging from politics, education and religion to aging, popular culture and identity. It is an amazing smorgasbord that does more than any book I have read on Japan to unravel the stereotypes and provide fresh, cogent perspectives on such a wide range of topics.