Contemporary Urban Japan: A Sociology of Consumption

Contemporary Japan, despite its prominence in the world economy, has so far received little systematic sociological attention from western scholars. One of the most neglected areas has been urban sociology. This volume demonstrates a fresh approach to urban studies as well as a new way of looking at contemporary Japan which links economy and society in an innovative way. The book breaks new ground methodologically and conceptually by exploring contemporary Japanese urban lifestyles through the medium of an analysis of consumption behavior.