In a break from the sad stories about Fukushima and Touhoku, I have some good news. My new book, "Building Democracy in Japan," which tells a grassroots story about Japanese democratization, has just gotten published. Below is the publication blurb. I've used is successfully in my Japanese politics class, and I hope that many of you will find it persuasive, and if not persuasive, at least thought provoking.

Building Democracy in Japan (Cambridge 2012) Mary Alice Haddad, Wesleyan University

How is democracy made real? How does an undemocratic country create new institutions and transform its polity such that democratic values and practices become integral parts of its political culture? These are some of the most pressing questions of our times, and they are the central inquiry of Building Democracy in Japan.
Using the Japanese experience as starting point, this book develops a new approach to the study of democratization that examines state-society interactions as a country adjusts its existing political culture to accommodate new democratic values, institutions, and practices. With reference to the country's history, the book focuses on how democracy is experienced in contemporary Japan, highlighting the important role of generational change in facilitating both gradual adjustments as well as dramatic transformation in Japanese politics.

Best,
Mary Alice

Mary Alice Haddad
Government Department
Wesleyan University
mahaddad[at]wesleyan.edu