Abstract
International observers of Japan’s struggles and achievements in the post-Bubble era alternatively marvel at the country’s resilience and wonder about its ability to find its feet in an era of unrelenting socio-economic change and technological transformation. In December 2016, an interdisciplinary and international group of scholars gathered in Narita, Japan, to address a simple question: does the twenty-first century need a reimagining and reconfiguration of the country on the scale and with the intensity of the late nineteenth-century Meiji Restoration. In the introduction to this collection of essays, this chapter reflects on the nature of contemporary challenges facing Japan, contemplates the earlier lessons from Meiji and argues that there will be no clear or simple path forward for the country, due both to the strengths and weaknesses of Japan and the complexities and diverse changes of the contemporary world. © 2019 selection and editorial matter, Ken Coates, Kimie Hara, Carin Holroyd and Marie Söderberg; individual chapters, the contributors.