Bringing together two voices, practice and theory, in a collaboration that emerges from lived experience and structured reflection upon that experience, O’Mochain and Ueno show how entrenched discursive forces exert immense influence in Japanese society and how they might be most effectively challenged. With a psychosocial framework that draws insights from feminism, sociology, international studies, and political psychology, the authors pinpoint the motivations of the nativist right and reflect on the change of conditions that is necessary to end cultures of impunity for perpetrators of sexual abuse in Japan. Evaluating the value of the #MeToo model of activism, the authors offer insights that will encourage victims to come out of the shadows, pursue justice, and help transform Japan’s sense of identity both at home and abroad. Ueno, a female Japanese educator and O’Mochain, a non-Japanese male academic, examine the nature of sexual abuse problems both in educational contexts and in society at large through the use of surveys, interviews, and engagement with an eclectic range of academic literature. They identify the groups within society who offer the least support for women who pursue justice against perpetrators of sexual abuse. They also ask if far-right ideological extremists are fixated with proving that so called “comfort women” are higaisha-buru or “fake victims.” Japan would have much to gain on the international stage were it to fully acknowledge historical crimes of sexual violence, yet it continues to refuse to do so. O’Mochain and Ueno shed light on this puzzling refusal through recourse to the concepts of ‘international status anxiety’ and ‘male hysteria.’ An insightful read for scholars of Japanese society, especially those concerned about its treatment of women.

“A bold, new voice.” —People “A nuanced addition to the #MeToo conversation.” —Vice A young survivor tells her searing, visceral story of sexual assault, justice, and healing in this gutwrenching memoir. The numbers are staggering: nearly one in five girls ages fourteen to seventeen have been the victim of a sexual assault or attempted sexual assault. This is the true story of one of those girls. In 2014, Chessy Prout was a freshman at St. Paul’s School, a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire, when a senior boy sexually assaulted her as part of a ritualized game of conquest. Chessy bravely reported her assault to the police and testified against her attacker in court. Then, in the face of unexpected backlash from her once-trusted school community, she shed her anonymity to help other survivors find their voice. This memoir is more than an account of a horrific event. It takes a magnifying glass to the institutions that turn a blind eye to such behavior and a society that blames victims rather than perpetrators. Chessy’s story offers real, powerful solutions to upend rape culture as we know it today. Prepare to be inspired by this remarkable young woman and her story of survival, advocacy, and hope in the face of unspeakable trauma.

"... documents Japan's history of corporal punishment in sport -- known as taibatsu in Japanese -- and finds child abuse in sports training throughout Japanese schools, federations, and elite sports"--Publisher website.

Examines the Japanese commitment to education, discusses the position of teachers and the structure of the school system, and looks at the cultural background of students.

Most books about Japan will tell you how to use chopsticks and say "konnichiwa!" Few honestly tackle the existential angst of living in a radically foreign culture. The author, a three-year resident and researcher of Japan, tackles the thousand tiny uncertainties of living abroad. -- Adapted from back cover

This book examines the impact of global human rights norms on the development of women's, children's, and minority rights in Japan since the early 1990s.

This book provides fresh sociological analyses on family violence in Japan. Aimed at an international audience, the authors adopt a life course perspective in presenting their research. Following a comprehensive overview of family violence in Japan in both historical and contemporary contexts, it then goes on to define the extent and causes of child abuse, intimate partner violence, filial violence, and elder abuse. In doing so, the book is the first of its kind to look at these different types of violence in Japanese families and simultaneously incorporate historical development of individuals and intergenerational factors. Furthermore, its reliance on the life course perspective enables readers to obtain a broader understanding of family violence in the country. Written by five Japanese family sociologists who have identified various major sociocultural characteristics that either induce or suppress family violence in Japan, it is a valuable resource not only to scholars and students of the topic, but also to those specializing in sociology, psychology, anthropology and comparative family studies around the globe.