Today, the Japanese nation faces an identity crisis as it attempts to contend with the misfortunes endured in the 1990s: a downward economic spiral, a renewed crime wave, political corruption, and the failure of the government to take bold, new steps in response. Exploring Japaneseness, a collection of new essays from many of the leading scholars and researchers in Japanese studies, including specialists in communication, linguistics, anthropology, psychology, and others, attempts to address the current state of what it means to be Japanese. The central questions of this volume are those that the nation of Japan is itself considering as it begins the third millennium; Exploring Japaneseness provides a multidisciplinary perspective on what some of the answers might be. Suitable for the informed layman and the specialist alike, the collection deals with such varied subjects as language, nationalism, rhetoric, and mass media, laying a foundation for inquiries into Japanese national and cultural identities by examining aspects of Japaneseness as enacted through everyday discourse or communication. By exploring the culture from the "inside out," these esteemed scholars provide an expansive portrait of a complex and ever-evolving nation.

Japanese Culture and Communication provides a cross-cultural training manual for interacting with the Japanese by considering the conceptual barriers involved, identifying the real differences related to communication and culture, and providing actual cases for developing critical cultural analysis. The author discusses Japan's distinctiveness as a country that appears both "western" and "eastern" yet actually developed its own unique tradition. He focuses on the perceptual barriers to effective intercultural relations, Japanese communication style, contrastive rhetoric or discourse between Japanese and English, and images of the Japanese in the mass media. Application exercises are provided, as well as guest articles from several foreign residents of Japan, and Japanese studies specialists.

Japanese Culture and Communication provides a cross-cultural training manual for interacting with the Japanese by considering the conceptual barriers involved, identifying the real differences related to communication and culture, and providing actual cases for developing critical cultural analysis. The author discusses Japan's distinctiveness as a country that appears both 'western' and 'eastern' yet actually developed its own unique tradition. He focuses on the perceptual barriers to effective intercultural relations, Japanese communication style, contrastive rhetoric or discourse between Japanese and English, and images of the Japanese in the mass media. Application exercises are provided, as well as guest articles from several foreign residents of Japan, and Japanese studies specialists.

This work seeks to provide insight into the role that discourse and rhetorical analysis plays in the crucial area of international conflict resolution and diplomatic process. Using analyses of situations that have come into play in the United Nations as the backdrop to their study, Donahue and Prosser first develop the concept of discourse analysis and the various approaches to it, including the role of genre and culture. They then turn their attention to rhetorical analysis, from its classical beginnings through to contemporary Western perspectives. The final part of the work applies the tools of discourse and rhetorical analysis to an understanding of various modern historical conflicts (including the Middle East conflict) and issues of current and future interest (such as human and women's rights).

This work seeks to provide insight into the role that discourse and rhetorical analysis plays in the crucial area of international conflict resolution and diplomatic process. Using analyses of situations that have come into play in the United Nations as the backdrop to their study, Donahue and Prosser first develop the concept of discourse analysis and the various approaches to it, including the role of genre and culture. They then turn their attention to rhetorical analysis, from its classical beginnings through to contemporary Western perspectives. The final part of the work applies the tools of discourse and rhetorical analysis to an understanding of various modern historical conflicts (including the Middle East conflict) and issues of current and future interest (such as human and women's rights).