Spotlights

[Book Announcement] The Politics of Conformity in Japan—A New Scholarly Volume (Routledge, June 2025).

The new book by Professor Yukiko Nishikawa (Graduate School of Global Studies) explores how dōchō atsuryoku—the pressure to conform—shapes Japanese society. Central to the book is seken, the “social gaze,” or unspoken social expectations, and kūki, the “atmosphere” that influences behavior. Through case studies like wartime Japan, the COVID-19 pandemic, and responses to sexual violence, the book reveals how conformity continues to impact individuals, institutions, governance, and justice in Japan. Insightful and thought-provoking, it shows how Japan’s social fabric is deeply woven with the power of conformity.

Reference
Nishikawa, Y. (2025). The Politics of Conformity in Japan. Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003605799

For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University. 

https://research.doshisha.ac.jp/news/news-detail-77/

This achievement has also been featured in the “EurekAlert!.”

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1085588

Title: The Politics of Conformity in Japan by Yukiko Nishikawa
Credit: Taylor & Francis
Usage Restrictions: Credit must be given to the creator. Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted.
License: CC BY-NC-ND