Disability and chronic illness represents a special kind of cultural diversity, the "other" to "normal" able-bodiedness. Most studies of disability consider disability in North American or European contexts; and studies of diversity in Japan consider ethnic and cultural diversity, but not the differences arising from disability. This book therefore breaks new ground, both for scholars of disability studies and for Japanese studies scholars. It charts the history and nature of disability in Japan, discusses policy and law relating to disability, examines caregiving and accessibility, and explores how disability is viewed in Japan.

Carolyn S. Stevens is Professor of Japanese Studies and Director of the Japanese Studies Centre at Monash University, Australia.

1. Introduction: Thinking about Anthropology, Disability, and Japan 2. Disability in the Japanese Context 3. Disability, Language, and Meaning 4. Disability Policy and Law in Modern Japan 5. Disability and the Life Cycle 6. Caregiving 7. Accessibility: Complementing Environments with Bodies, and Minds 8. Conclusion