目次

Introduction 1. Understanding Heisei: Anchoring amidst Transformation Carola Hommerich, Naoki Sudo, Toru Kikkawa Part 1: Deciphering the ‘Middle’ - Subtle Change Behind the Scenes 1. Images of Social Stratification and the "Gap Society" Hiroshi Kanbayashi 2. Change or No Change? The Complex Relationship between Status Groups and Status Identification in Heisei Japan Ken Tanioka Part 2: Adapting to change - Social consciousness over the Heisei Period 1. Adapting to new realities? Educational Disparity in Mechanisms of Status Identification among Young Japanese Ryotaro Hazama 2. Civil society: Who participates? Haruyo Mitani and Makoto Hiramatsu 3. Support for Government Redistribution Programs in the Age of Welfare Retrenchment: Workers’ Changing Attitudes Kikuko Nagayoshi 4. Employment status as social status: Changes in the life satisfaction of regular and non-regular employees Yuto Hashizume 5. Conservative Youth? Why do young people become authoritarian and support the LDP? Mitsuru Matsutani 6. Why do married women in Japan support unequal gender norm of "working and caring? Mari Higuchi Conclusion 1. Japan after the Heisei Period - Where are we heading? Naoki Sudo, Carola Hommerich and Toru Kikkawa