1st Edition

Japanese Rebels Non-conformists in a Conformist Society

By David McNeill, Stephen McClure Copyright 2026
230 Pages 32 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

230 Pages 32 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Japan is often seen through the lens of an unusually resilient stereotype that it is a nation of risk-averse conformists. David McNeill and Stephen McClure deconstruct that stereotype by showing that there have always been Japanese people who have rejected the status quo, challenged injustice and fought for personal freedom. The book delves into the notion that Japan is a monolithic society in... Read more

Introduction 1 Activists 2 Artists 3 Athletes 4 Authors 5 Bureaucrats 6 Businesspeople 7 Entertainers 8 Historical rebels 9 Foreign rebels 10 Inventors and scientists 11 Journalists 12 Movie directors 13 Politicians 14 Religious rebels. Postscript

Biography

David McNeill is a former correspondent for The Independent and The Economist newspapers.  He is Professor of Communications at the University of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo and co-chairs the Freedom of the Press committee of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan.

Stephen McClure, formerly Billboard magazine’s Asia Bureau Chief, is a freelance journalist, editor and narrator. McClure has written on a broad range of topics, including business, media, pop culture, travel and science, including Nippon Pop, the first English-language book on Japanese pop music.