ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of some of the challenges facing Japanese men by outlining the history of the study of men and masculinities in Japan. As elsewhere, recent research into men and masculinities in Japan has had a twofold significance. First, in contrast to earlier gender research which tended to view men as a homogenous group and take manhood for granted, recent research has revealed both the diversity which exists among men as well as the constructed and unstable nature of men’s gender identities. In addition, the results of this research into men and masculinities have prompted many men to rethink their taken-for-granted notions of manhood and take a more proactive stance in the construction of new forms of masculine identity and behavior.
