The Political Economy of Reproduction in Japan [Paperback]

This book analyzes the political economy of reproduction and its role in the process of Japanese modernization. Hiroko analyzes state attempts and policies to intervene into women's bodies and everyday lives to integrate them into the Japanese political economy. Based on Foucault's concept of governmentality the author develops a model to assess reproduction in three forms - economic, biological and socio-political - from 1868 until the present day.Introduction 1. Reproduction and Governmentality 2. The Creation of a Modern Reproductive System in Prewar Japan 3. Reproduction in the Total War Regime and the Occupation 4. A Reproductive System for Postwar Economic Growth 5. A Case Study: The New Life Movement 6. ConclusionTakeda Hirokorecently completed her PhD in Japanese Studies at the University of Sheffield, researching the political function of 'reproduction' in post-war Japanese society, in particular relations to the organisation of a gendered society.