'Nanette Gottlieb's latest book, Language and Society in Japan, continues a high standard of inquiry into Japanese language issues … there is no better chronicler in English of Japanese language policy … Gottleib's observations on the teaching of Japanese and of English as a foreign language are especially timely … makes an important distinction between linguistic stereotyping and discriminatory language …Gottleib's discussion of this and other issues in this book provides sufficient information for the reader to speculate right along with her about the linguistic future of Japan.' Monumenta Nipponica
1. The Japanese language; 2. Language and diversity in Japan; 3. Language and national identity: evolving views; 4. Language and identity: the policy approach; 5. Writing and reading in Japan; 6. Representation and identity: discriminatory language; 7. Shifting electronic identities; 8. Conclusion.