Multicultural Japan Palaeolithic to Postmodern [Paperback]

Challenges the conventional view of Japanese society as monocultural and homogenous.This book challenges the conventional view of Japanese society as being monocultural and homogenous. Unique for its historical breadth and interdisciplinary orientation, Multicultural Japan extends from the prehistoric phase to the present. It challenges the notion that Japan's monoculture is being challenged only because of internationalism, arguing that cultural diversity has always existed in Japan. It is a provocative discussion of identity politics around the question of 'Japaneseness'.This paperback edition has a new epilogue.This book challenges the conventional view of Japanese society as being monocultural and homogenous. Unique for its historical breadth and interdisciplinary orientation, Multicultural Japan extends from the prehistoric phase to the present. It challenges the notion that Japan's monoculture is being challenged only because of internationalism, arguing that cultural diversity has always existed in Japan. It is a provocative discussion of identity politics around the question of 'Japaneseness'.This paperback edition has a new epilogue.This book challenges the conventional view of Japanese society as being monocultural and homogenous. Unique for its historical breadth and interdisciplinary orientation, this study extends from the prehistoric phase to the present. It challenges the notion that Japan's monoculture is being challenged only because of internationalism, arguing that cultural diversity has always existed in Japan. It is a provocative discussion of identity politics around the question of Japaneseness . The paperback edition has a new epilogue.Part I. Archaeology and Identity: 1. The Japanese as an Asia-Pacific population Katayama Kazumichi; 2. North Kyushu creole: a language-contact model for the origins of Japanese John C. Maher; 3. Beyond ethnicity and emergence in Japanese archaeology Simon Kaner; 4. Archaeology and Japanese identity Clare Fawcelƒ