We are excited to share our first article of 2026. Yukiko Nishikawa reflects on the scandal surrounding Johnny Kitagawa and explains how social constructs like seken and social scripts, such as kuki o yomu and sontaku, have perpetuated sexual abuse in Japan: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

New publication: Emma Cook has reviewed Alice Pacher's (No) Sex in Japan: A Sociology of Sexlessness in Intimate Relationships, published by Springer in 2022. For the full review visit: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

With immigration measures being a key focus of discussion in Japan, take a look at our special section on the 2018 immigration reform. Guest-edited by David Chiavacci from University of Zurich, it features articles by Naoto Higuchi, David Chiavacci & Sachi Takaya: academic.oup.com/ssjj/issue/2...

In his new review essay, Kaoru Sonoda examines how employment inequality in Japan is socially perceived and institutionally reinforced, urging a critical perspective on how such disparities are justified and normalized. Read the article here: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

How did #Japan respond to #COVID-19? Discover more in our Virtual Special Issue on the pandemic’s political and social impact: academic.oup.com/ssjj/pages/c...

What drives public support during global health crises? Yida Zhai compares Japan and China’s COVID-19 responses, showing how state performance and economic aid shape approval—while revealing the fragility of China’s reliance on material support. 🔗 academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

In his new paper, Till Knaudt traces the history of The Tribes, a hippie commune on Suwanose Island, revealing its links to the Californian Beat scene, West Coast Zen, the Japanese New Left, and environmental activism in Japan: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

In their new article, Julia Gerster and Akihiro Shibayama of Tohoku University provide a detailed analysis of the intricate local dynamics surrounding the preservation of schools as memorial sites for the victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake #OpenAccess: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

In light of the Muslim community’s emergence as a fast-growing ethnic minority in contemporary Japan, Shinji Kojima and Derrace McCallum—in their new paper—examine the challenges Muslim migrants face in securing burial cemeteries in Japan. Read the full paper here: lnkd.in/eMy5Wh87

In our summer issue, Sebastian Polak-Rottmann and Dionyssios Askitis offer a new understanding of well-being in Japan. 'Yorokonde morau', which is the experience of shared well-being that comes from making others happy. The paper is available via open access: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

Newly published, this paper by Paul Christensen, Cindi SturtzSreetharan, Charles Crabtree and Charles McClean looks at the implementation of the SDGs in Japan: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

In our new issue, Norifumi Takeishi examines the structure of the naval officer corps, offering new historical insights into the development of Japan’s military and its path toward war. The article is #Open Access: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article... #JapaneseHistory #MilitaryStudies

We are pleased to announce that the new issue of SSJJ is now available. This issue includes eleven articles and a special section on Japan’s 2018 immigration reform, guest-edited by David Chiavacci. Read the issue: academic.oup.com/ssjj/issue/2... #JapaneseStudies #Migration

What changed after Japan’s 2018 immigration reform? Our winter issue, guest-edited by David Chiavacci, explores this in a special section with papers by Naoto Higuchi, David Chiavacci, and Sachi Takaya. Read more: academic.oup.com/ssjj/issue

Did you know? The Social Science Japan Journal also accepts submissions in Japanese! Find out how to submit your research here: academic.oup.com/ssjj/pages/G...

Find out why you should publish your research on contemporary Japan with SSJJ: academic.oup.com/ssjj/pages/w....

New Paper: Hilary Holbrow and Hao Liang’s latest study, “Cultural Fluency Required? Interrogating Ethnocentrism in the Employment of White-Collar Asian Migrants in Japan,” is now available: academic.oup.com/ssjj/advance...

The ISS/Oxford Prize for Modern Japanese Studies is awarded by Oxford University Press in conjunction with the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, and is awarded to the author of the best article published each year in Social Science Japan Journal: academic.oup.com/ssjj/pages/p...

SSJJでは日本語論文の投稿も可能です。採用された日本語の論文は、こちらで英語に翻訳して出版します。みんなさんの投稿をお待ちしてします！投稿の詳細は、https://academic.oup.com/ssjj/pages/General_Instructionsをご参照下さい。

Submit your work to Social Science Japan Journal (SSJJ) in English or Japanese and share your research on Japan with a global audience. Discover why SSJJ is the right platform for your research with Oxford Journals: academic.oup.com/ssjj/pages/w... 📝🌏 #SSJJ #AcademicPublishing