Family and Social Policy in Japan

Social policies reflect important ideas about the relationship between the state and the individual. This book examines this relationship in a number of unexplored areas in Japanese society, including policies relating to fertility, perinatal care, child care, sexuality and elder care. It concludes that a major transformation occurred during the 1990s as a result of Japan's changing economy, demography and civil society. The volume challenges many Western preconceptions about Japanese society.