A Sociology of Japanese Youth: From Returnees to NEETs, edited by Roger Goodman, Yuki Imoto and Tuukka Toivonen. Routledge: Abingdon, U.K., 2012, 191 pp., $51.95 (paperback)

New buzzwords about some youth pathology or trend are frequently catapulted into popular discourse by an industry of hacks and experts in Japan who serve up snappy, headline grabbing terms that flare up and give way to the next hot topic. It is puzzling why certain issues suddenly gain prominence and then slip off the radar screen, and how public perceptions can change about a given phenomenon.

This superb collection of essays presents a social constructionist analysis of why youth problems erupt when they do and how they evolve. This is an exceptionally well-written book that is destined to become a classic in Japanese studies and is a truly collaborative effort that benefits from a high degree of dialogue between the authors. The chapters address a gamut of issues ranging from returnee children (kikokushijo), compensated dating (enjo kosai), corporal punishment (taibatsu), bullying (ijime), nerds (otaku), child abuse (jido gyakutai), withdrawn youth (hikikomori) and NEETs (not in education, employment or training).