The recent manifestation of exclusionism in Japan has emerged at a time of intensified neoliberal economic policies, increased cross-border migration brought on by globalization, the elevated threat of global terrorism, heightened tensions between East Asian states over historical and territorial conflicts, and a backlash by Japanese conservatives over perceived historical apologism. The social and political environment for minorities in Japan has shifted drastically since the 1990s, yet many studies of Japan still tend to view Japan through the dominant discourses of "ethnic homogeneity (tanitsu minzoku shakai)" and "middle-class society (so-churyu--shakai)" which positions the exclusion of minorities as an exceptional phenomenon. While exclusionism has been recognized as a serious threat to minority groups, it has not often been considered a representative issue for the whole of Japanese society. This tendency will persist until the discourses of tanitsu minzoku shakai and so-churyu--shakai are systematically debunked and Japan is widely recognized as both multiethnic and socio-economically stratified. Today, as with most advanced capitalist countries, serious social divides occasioned by the impacts of globalization and neoliberalism have destabilized Japanese society. This book explores not only how Japanese society is diversified and unequal, but also how diversity and inequality have caused people to divide into separate realities from which conflict and violence have emerged. It empirically examines the current situation while considering the historical development of exclusionism from the interdisciplinary viewpoints of history, policy studies, cultural studies, sociology and cultural anthropology. In addition to analyzing the realities of division and exclusionism, the authors propose theoretical alternatives to overcome such cultural and social divides.

The recent manifestation of exclusionism in Japan has emerged at a time of intensified neoliberal economic policies, increased cross-border migration brought on by globalization, the elevated threat of global terrorism, heightened tensions between East Asian states over historical and territorial conflicts, and a backlash by Japanese conservatives over perceived historical apologism. The social and political environment for minorities in Japan has shifted drastically since the 1990s, yet many studies of Japan still tend to view Japan through the dominant discourses of "ethnic homogeneity (tanitsu minzoku shakai)" and "middle-class society (so-churyu--shakai)" which positions the exclusion of minorities as an exceptional phenomenon. While exclusionism has been recognized as a serious threat to minority groups, it has not often been considered a representative issue for the whole of Japanese society. This tendency will persist until the discourses of tanitsu minzoku shakai and so-churyu--shakai are systematically debunked and Japan is widely recognized as both multiethnic and socio-economically stratified. Today, as with most advanced capitalist countries, serious social divides occasioned by the impacts of globalization and neoliberalism have destabilized Japanese society. This book explores not only how Japanese society is diversified and unequal, but also how diversity and inequality have caused people to divide into separate realities from which conflict and violence have emerged. It empirically examines the current situation while considering the historical development of exclusionism from the interdisciplinary viewpoints of history, policy studies, cultural studies, sociology and cultural anthropology. In addition to analyzing the realities of division and exclusionism, the authors propose theoretical alternatives to overcome such cultural and social divides.

This annual publication features articles on star wisdom (astrosophy) and a guide to the correspondences between stellar configurations during the life of Christ and those of today. The guide includes a complete sidereal ephemeris and aspectarian, geocentric and heliocentric for each day of the year for 2024. According to Rudolf Steiner, each step taken by Christ during his ministry, from the Baptism in the Jordan to his Resurrection, was in harmony with, and an expression of, the cosmos. The Star Wisdom series is concerned with these heavenly correspondences during the life of Christ and is intended to help in building a foundation for cosmic Christianity, the cosmic dimension of Christianity. It is this approach that, until now, has been largely missing from Christianity and its 2,000-year history. Readers can begin this path today by contemplating the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets against the background of the zodiacal constellations (sidereal signs) in relation to corresponding stellar events during the life of Christ. In this way, the possibility is opened for attuning in a living way to the life of Christ, who since the beginning of his Second Coming in 1933 is now spiritually present in the etheric aura of the Earth. From Eclipse to Apocalypse (Star Wisdom, vol. 6) focuses on the so-called "Great American" Solar Eclipse that will occur on April 8, 2024, but also the related earlier eclipses of August 21, 2017, and October 14, 2023.

This annual publication features articles on star wisdom (astrosophy) and a guide to the correspondences between stellar configurations during the life of Christ and those of today. The guide includes a complete sidereal ephemeris and aspectarian, geocentric and heliocentric for each day of the year for 2023. According to Rudolf Steiner, each step taken by Christ during his ministry, from the Baptism in the Jordan to his Resurrection, was in harmony with, and an expression of, the cosmos. The Star Wisdom series is concerned with these heavenly correspondences during the life of Christ and is intended to help in building a foundation for cosmic Christianity, the cosmic dimension of Christianity. It is this approach that, until now, has been largely missing from Christianity and its 2,000-year history. Readers can begin this path today by contemplating the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets against the background of the zodiacal constellations (sidereal signs) in relation to corresponding stellar events during the life of Christ. In this way, the possibility is opened for attuning in a living way to the life of Christ, who since the beginning of his Second Coming in 1933 is now spiritually present in the etheric aura of the Earth. This edition of Star Wisdom focuses on the year 2023 as the 100-year commemoration of Rudolf Steiner laying the Foundation Stone Meditation at the founding of the General Anthroposophical Society during the Christmas Conference in 1923 -- a 'turning point of time'. Additionally, this edition looks to the year 2023 in the light of its potential for being a turning point in today's cultural crisis, as indicated by the position of Neptune on the cusp of Aquarius and Pisces. This volume also features articles by Robert Powell, Joel Park, Krisztina Cseri and Natalia Haarahiltunen. This guide to direct interaction between human beings on Earth and angels and other heavenly beings connected with the stars is intended to help the reader develop the capacity to receive the wisdom-filled teachings of the spiritual hierarchies.

This annual publication features articles on star wisdom (astrosophy) and a guide to the correspondences between stellar configurations during the life of Christ and those of today. The guide includes a complete sidereal ephemeris and aspectarian, geocentric, and heliocentric for each day of the 2021. According to Rudolf Steiner, each step taken by Christ during his ministry, from the Baptism in the Jordan to his Resurrection, was in harmony with, and an expression of, the cosmos. The Star Wisdom series is concerned with these heavenly correspondences during the life of Christ and is intended to help one to build a foundation for cosmic Christianity, the cosmic dimension of Christianity. It is this approach that, until now, has been largely missing from Christianity and its two-millennia history. Readers can begin this path today by contemplating the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets against the background of the zodiacal constellations (sidereal signs) in relation to corresponding stellar events during the life of Christ. In this way, the possibility is opened for attuning in a living way to the life of Christ, who since the beginning of his Second Coming in 1933 is now spiritually present in the etheric aura of the Earth. The articles include: -- "The Bellows of Ahriman" by Julie Humphreys -- "The Tree of Life" by Joel Matthew Park -- "Finding Future Grail Sites" by Joel Matthew Park -- "Astrology: The Science of Wholeness" by Wolfgang Smith -- "The Path from Pisces to Aquarius" by Bill Trusiewicz -- "Classics in Astrosophy" by Robert Powell -- "Rudolf Steiner and the Christmas Conference" by Krisztina Cseri "Stargazing and Commentary" for 2021 are provided by Julie Humphreys and Joel Matthew Park, offering readers an opportunity to connect the spiritual with the stellar configurations of the year. This guide to direct interaction between human beings on Earth and angels and other heavenly beings connected with the stars is intended to help the reader develop the capacity to receive the wisdom-filled teachings of the spiritual hierarchies.

This year's edition of Star Wisdom highlights the 100-year anniversary of the lecture series 'Isis, Mary, Sophia' given by Rudolf Steiner in December 1920. Over the course of these lectures, Steiner laid out the path for new forms of both star wisdom and nature wisdom, which laid the basis for his Astronomical Course given a month later. According to the anonymous author of Meditations on the Tarot, the guiding being of the Saturn Sphere is none other than the Virgin Mary -- who has manifested in history as both Isis and Sophia. The year 2020 is a very special year for the planet Saturn: the year begins with a conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in January, and ends with a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in December. This year's contributions will highlight, from a variety of perspectives, the influence and guidance we may receive in a particularly potent way during the year 2020 -- the year of Saturn, Isis, Mary, Sophia.