I am (as some subscribers will know well) no expert at all on Japanese politics and society. I am, however, currently working on a subject in American politics that may (or may not) have some parallels in Japan, namely, a puzzling decline in "social capital" (civic engagement, social and political participation, social and political trust, and so on) in American society over the last thirty years. (A brief account of my preliminary findings appeared in "Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital," Journal of Democracy, vol. 6 , no. 1 (January 1995), pp. 65-78.) I would be grateful for suggestions from Forum members for recent relevant literature (preferably in English, although I could perhaps find help here in translating a few key Japanese sources) on Japan. Robert D. Putnam
Center for International Affairs
Harvard University
Ph. 617-495-1148
Fax 617-495-8292
E-mail rputnam[atx]cfia.harvard.edu