Male Circumcision in Japan [Hardcover]

Male Circumcision in Japan offers an analysis of the surgical procedure based on extensive ethnographic investigation, and is framed within historical and current global debates to highlight the significance of the Japanese case.

In a book that draws deftly from a range of scholars and theories, Castro-V?zquez invites us to consider the biomedicalization of the practice in the sociohistorical context of gender and sexual ideology in Japan. & the book is an important contribution to the sociology of masculinity, of sexuality, of bodies, of medicine, and of knowledge and thus, a worthwhile read. (Amanda Kennedy, Men and Masculinities, Vol. 20 (1), 2017)?

Genaro Castro-V?zquez is Assistant Professor in the Division of Sociology at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

This book delivers excellent insight into the wider debates around circumcision and a deep understanding of the circumstances of circumcision in Japan. It offers a nuanced account of the historical journey and possible social, political, and medical reasons for its emergence and continuance and provides clear, coherent, and cutting insights into the different perspectives on these debates provided by the situation in Japan. - Steve Robertson, Professor and Co-Director, Centre for Men's Health, Leeds Beckett University, UK; Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Men's Health

In this study of a widely debated practice not normally associated with East Asia, Castro-Vazquez tracks the history, justifications, and changing cultural meanings of adult male circumcision in Japan. It is the first monograph-length examination of an unexpected trend that has largely been ignored by scholars. Wide-ranging and thoughtful, this book is a timely contribution to Japan studies, gender studies, and sexuality studies. - Laura Miller, Eiichi Shibusawa-Seigo Arai Endowed Professor of Japanese Studies and Professor of Anthropology, University of Missouri St. Louis, USlã(