Contemporary Japan: History, Politics and Social Change sincethe 1980s presents a comprehensive examination of the causes ofthe Japanese economic bubble in the late 1980s and thesocio-political consequences of the recent financial collapse.

At the start of the 1990s, the Japanese post-war economic miracle came to a screeching halt. A series of disastrous market collapses and an ensuing economic meltdown resulted in what is now referred to as Japan's "Lost Decade." Yet the phenomenon represents much more than a singular economic debacle and case of bungled government policy decisions. Contemporary Japan: History, Politics and Social Change presents an accessible and comprehensive examination of the causes of the Japanese housing bubble in the late 1980s and the socio-political consequences of the ensuing implosion of asset values. Author Jeff Kingston reveals that while after two decades the Japanese economy remains mired in a deep recession, the apparent stagnation is misleading. He shows how the discrediting of the Japan, Inc. model has lead to significant policy reforms and transformative social change -- most apparent in the dramatic political victory of the Democratic Party of Japan in 2009. Kingston also addresses many other challenges faced by contemporary Japan, including the implications of its aging society, environmental issues, immigration policies, neo-liberal reforms, evolving traditional institutions of the imperial family, and the yakuza. Contemporary Japan: History, Politics and Social Change offers deep and probing insights into the turmoil in Japan since the death of Emperor Hirohito in 1989 until the present day.