Union Press/Publisher for Academic Books and Journals/Book List

Union Press actively adopts the "Open Access" system so that as many people as possible can read our books. Titles marked with are Open Access books. The following book titles are for English language. For Japanese language titles, please see our Japanese site.
Cover Image	Book Information	About the Book

	Behavioral Economics: Decision Making and Business Revitalization in Japan Author: Hiromi Fujimori Publishing date: February 28, 2024 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784909848208 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 234	Based on case studies of bankruptcies and business revitalizations in Japan, this book clarifies the usefulness of behavioral economics in decision-making. Starting with bounded rationality, which is a target of analysis in behavioral economics, the behaviors of consumers and business owners in relation to business revitalization are analyzed for the purpose of economizing transaction costs. The analysis is applied to law and economics studies, and the judicial system related to business revitalization is discussed from the perspective of behavioral economics.

	Performing Cross-Cultural Modernity: Behind and Beyond Japan’s Takarazuka Revue Author: Makiko Yamanashi Publishing date: January 15, 2023 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784909848154 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 284	A dynamic cultural dialogue between Japan and the rest of the world, revue reaches beyond entertainment. This book discusses revue as a remarkable cross-cultural performing art, a platform for shifting socio-cultural values, and a salient metaphor for modernity. Revue is examined in its conceptual, spatial, temporal, categorical and physical dimensions, as both a product of and an incentive for globalisation. In this book, revue is revealed in its liminal, multifaceted form, entangling the cosmopolitan with the quotidian.

	Land of the Rising/Falling Sun: The Quest for a New Japanese Economic and Social Model Author: Claude Lonien Publishing date: May 31, 2022 Price: JPY 3,000. ISBN: 9784909848116 Size: 153×229 mm, Paperback Page: 356	This book is about the past, present and future of the Japanese economic and social model from 1868. Japanese-style industrial capitalism is compared to the economic and social models of eleven other developed countries. Institutional changes like the New Stewardship Code on the TSE in 2014, the New Corporate Governance Code in 2015, and the privatization of Japan Post in 2017 affect the traditional hiring practices such as lifetime employment, seniority wages, and enterprise unions. This book includes a framework explaining capitalist varieties by comparing seven Asian, four European and one American economy.

	Evidence Based Policy Making (EBPM) and Data Science in Fisheries Author: Chika Suzuki Publishing date: March 31, 2022 Price: JPY 2,500. ISBN: 9784909848161 Size: 153×229 mm, Paperback Page: 284	This book contains basic knowledge about evidence based policy making (EBPM) in the areas of fisheries science, mathematics, data science, and artificial intelligence. It also comprises essays that provide the basis for EBPM on fisheries science. Moreover, it includes the research results.

	Rehabilitation for MCI and Dementia: Using Assistive Technology to Support Daily Activities Author: Kiyoshi Yasuda Publishing date: February 28, 2022 Price: JPY 4,500. ISBN: 9784909848130 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 248	This book succeeds in solving some responsive behaviors such as anger, getting lost, and asking repetitive questions by using electronic Middle-Tech ATs, such as a Sony IC Recorder and Voice guidance. The author has created various new Low-Tech ATs, and other High-Tech ATs include a conversation system with anime-agents and a smart mind-sensing system as well as dementia-assistance dogs carrying ATs. For the healthy elderly, two “List of Memory Strategies” are included. A wealth of application ideas using ATs introduced in this book will enhance the quality of rehabilitation services, inspiring improved coping methods for individuals with MCI/dementia, and future studies.

	Impact of the 2015 Nepal Earthquakes on Individual Children’s Enrolment Situation: Seeking ‘High-quality Education’ Author: Naruho Ezaki Publishing date: March 27, 2021 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784909848055 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 194 Click here to read	This book investigates changes in education and the impact of natural disasters on children’s enrolment, focusing on Nepal. The author collected data through school visits, interview surveys, and home-visit surveys, and clarifies five key points: (1) enrolment flow of children in peacetime; (2) characteristics of children left behind by the movement seeking ‘high-quality education’; (3) enrolment pattern of each child left behind by the movement; (4) differences in occupations and incomes of individuals served and left behind by the movement; (5) effects of the 2015 Nepal earthquakes on attendance and enrolment flow. This book has shed light on children who need support in the SDGs era.

	Effective Methods for Intercultural Education: Towards Multicultural Coexistence in a Global Society Author: Jun Numata Publishing date: February 28, 2021 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784909848048 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 212	This book investigates the effective methods for intercultural education for Japanese university students by focusing on reducing prejudice, improving empathy, and increasing interest in multicultural coexistence. The first half of the book includes a theoretical study on intercultural understanding, studies concerning the direction of intercultural understanding found in education policies in Japan, and concerning the current situation of intercultural understanding by Japanese university students. The second half deals with a study on the development of methods for intercultural education based on the discussions of the first half.

	Re-examination of FDI in Emerging Economies Author: Bin Ni Publishing date: February 29, 2020 Price: JPY 4,000. ISBN: 9784909848000 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 146 Click here to read	This book investigates the before and after of FDI processes in the context of developing countries. Most research is from the perspective of qualitative evaluation, while few empirical studies have attempted to examine their impacts. The first half of this book will be devoted to filling this blank. The second half is concerned with how FDI can affect the targeting country. Using the case of Vietnam, this book explores how FDI can benefit local firms through technology spillover.

	Satoyama Studies: Socio-ecological Considerations on Cultural Nature Editor: Mahoro Murasawa Publishing date: February 29, 2020 Price: JPY 2,500. ISBN: 9784946428982 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 204	Satoyama is nature maintained through human interaction. Mankind and nature have co-existed and co-evolved. Traditional human life with satoyama has been lost due to urbanization, industrialization and commercialization. The Earth’s environment has been destroyed, polluted, and over-consumed. The crisis requires us to return to satoyama life. We need to realize new forms of a symbiotic society by exploring traditional lifestyles along with new technologies. This book is an introduction to satoyama studies, for a sustainable and symbiotic society in the future.

	Sustainable Tourism for Rural Revitalization Authors: Takashi Oyabu, Masahide Yamamoto, Kayoko H. Murakami, and Mayu Urata Publishing date: October 1, 2019 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784946428975 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 212 Click here to read	Tourism industry promotion is a factor to develop the economy in Japan. It is difficult to increase the number of domestic tourists because of a declining population and an aging society. Regional revitalization was put forward to solve the concentration by the Japanese government. Inbound tourists could compensate for the decrease of domestic tourists. Japanese tourism competitiveness is 4th in the world, and 1st place in Asia. It is essential to utilize information technology and develop human resources for the tourism industry. Four authors explain their basic concepts and case studies.

	Local Rice Markets in the Philippines: An Analysis of Impediments to Trade Author: Olivia Quek Publishing date: March 31, 2019 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784946428913 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 180 Click here to read	The Philippines has a large degree of heterogeneity in each geographic market’s ability to produce food staples. Also, a lack of rice has often been at the root cause of political instability. This book aims to answer two questions: Are rice markets in the Philippines well arbitraged across space? What prevents rice from being traded between surplus and deficit regions? It shows how trade costs play a role in obstructing the trade of rice between surplus and deficit markets. Better transportation, packaging, storage, and logistics facilities, are of importance in ensuring that rice markets are integrated.

	The Resurgence of “Buddhist Government”: Tibetan-Mongolian Relations in the Modern World Authors: Yumiko Ishihama, Makoto Tachibana, Ryosuke Kobayashi, and Takehiko Inoue Publishing date: February 28, 2019 Price: JPY 4,167. ISBN: 9784946428890 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 256 Click here to read	The compilation of essays in this book examines the interrelationships in the Tibetan Buddhist world encompassing Tibet, Mongolia, and Kalmykia, and also sheds a new light on how they encountered the modern world during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The chapters focus on the perspectives of notable individuals such as the 13th Dalai Lama, and the 8th Jebtsundamba, in the Tibetan Buddhist world, rather than on great power relations between countries such as Britain, Russia and China. This volume, using valuable primary sources, contributes to a better appreciation of trans-regional personal and material exchanges among Tibetan Buddhists beyond national borders.

	Complex Emergencies and Humanitarian Response Editors: Mitsuru Yamada and Miki Honda Publishing date: December 31, 2018 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784946428906 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 252 Click here to read	It is composed of two parts. Part I takes a theoretical approach and Part II takes a practical one. Through discussions from both approaches, this book presents the reality of the unstable situations and difficulties that conflict-prone and post-conflict nations face. The chapters analyze complex emergencies and humanitarian efforts by diversified actors - nations, international and regional organizations, and civil society.

	The Actual Effect on Enrollment of "Education for All": Analysis Using Longitudinal Individual Data Author: Akemi Ashida Publishing date: February 28, 2018 Price: JPY 4,630. ISBN: 9784946428869 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 194 Click here to read	This book clarifies the actual enrollment situation of primary school children in Honduras since the late 1980s and the effects of Education for All on their enrollment. This research used longitudinal data to trace each child from their entrance in school to graduation/dropout, and conducted a true cohort analysis. This data can possibly clarify individual children’s enrollment status and consider cause-and-effect relationships of factors that influence enrollment. This is a unique study that observed enrollment as a pattern and examined changes over time. Based on empirical research, this research devised recommendations for SDG4-Education 2030.

	Transformed Bodies and Gender: Experiences of Women Pro Wrestlers in Japan Author: Keiko Aiba Publishing date: February 28, 2017 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784946428814 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 254 Click here to read	Women’s pro wrestling in Japan has been controlled by an organization of which the members have only been women. Their bodies are unique, transformed into a deviation from the ideal female body image in Japan to enable them to engage in pro wrestling. In addition, through professional training, they acquire “combat skills”. This kind of physique is different from the body many women are encouraged to attain. This book suggests that women, who are constrained by the “ideal female body” image or physical vulnerability, can liberate themselves from this normative image through “physical feminism.

	World War II Revisited: Two POWs, Two Sides, Two Stories Authors: Karen Ann Takizawa and Kenzo Takizawa Publishing date: December 11, 2015 Price: JPY 3,000. ISBN: 9784946428777 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 274 Click here to read	In this book, the postwar generation looks back on the experiences of two extended family members who were Prisoners of War in World War II in the Pacific. Their stories show sharp contrasts, as one was an American POW in Japanese camps, where the treatment of the POWs was harsh, and the other was a Japanese POW in American camps, where treatment of the POWs accorded with the guidelines set down in the Geneva Convention of 1929. Though neither of these men talked about the war very much, their stories were preserved in a written report and a lengthy interview, and visits to the places where they were during the war to see museums and monuments bring their stories to life.

	Gender Personality in Japanese Society: The determinants of femininity/masculinity, mental health, female-male relationships, and cultural factors Author: Itsuko Dohi Publishing date: March 31, 2014 Price: JPY 6,590. ISBN: 9784946428685 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 346 Click here to read	This book consists of the author’s research papers of more than 10 years about gender personality, mental health, and female-male relationships and a newly written conclusion about “Japanese-style” gender personality. Japanese researchers are eager to import foreign research, but seldom export, as they write their papers in Japanese. This book can be expected to be read by many researchers around the world, and it will contribute to a deeper understanding about gender and its cultural factors.

	Analysis of the Relationships Between Local Development NGOs and the Communities in Ethiopia: The case of the basic education sub-sector Author: Yoshiko Tonegawa Publishing date: February 28, 2014 Price: JPY 4,571. ISBN: 9784946428678 Size: 153×229 mm, Hardback Page: 188 Click here to read	This book is eye-opening: full of new findings on the realities of Local Development NGOs in Africa. Through the author’s exploration based on in-depth field research in Ethiopia, complex realities are revealed – Local Development NGOs are heavily burdened with “accountability” to the government and donors; local stake-holders do not whole-heartedly welcome those NGOs but are in a more business-like relation in which they act and react on their own.

	Support Technology for Transportation Environment of Handicapped People Author: Hiroshi Ikeda Publishing date: February 28, 2013 Price: JPY 4,048. ISBN: 9784946428647 Size: 148×210 mm, Hardback Page: 186 Click here to read	This book is written about the transportation environment and related problems for physically, hearing, and visually impaired people in Japan. Judgments of each disability, support equipment for transportation, also the situation of barrier-free conditions in the public transportation system according to Japanese law, are explained including figures and illustrations. It is compiled from the author’s actual research and experiments, and details the transportation environment for handicapped people.

	Japanese for Tourism Professionals Author: Yuka Iwata Publishing date: December 20, 2010 Price: JPY 2,200. ISBN: 9784946428432 Size: 182×257mm, Paperback Page: 172	Communicating with Japanese customers may be challenging for non-native speakers due to cultural differences which appear in language and social behaviors. Japanese for Tourism Professionals provides a comprehensive reference for the use of Japanese language for tourism and hospitality in depth. It is designed for English speakers to acquire Japanese language skills and cultural knowledge linked to tourism and hospitality. This book focuses on polite phrases and expressions commonly used in assisting customers, the language which goes beyond the level of simple conversation.

	Minority Education and Development in Contemporary Laos Author: Miki Inui Publishing date: August 24, 2009 Price: 6,245. ISBN: 9784946428395 Size: 148×210 mm, Hardback Page: 214 Click here to read	The purpose of this book is to illustrate what kind of educational disparity is occurring in Laos and the causes of the disparity among ethnic groups. It lays the groundwork for improving the educational access of minorities and adapting multi-cultural education not only in Laos but also in other multi-ethnic countries. This book is relevant to the academic disciplines of comparative education, educational anthropology, multi-cultural education and educational development.

	Contemporary Issues of Brain, Communication and Education in Psychology: The science of mind Editors: Kazuhito Yoshizaki and Hisao Ohnishi Publishing date: December 26, 2008 Price: JPY 4,500. ISBN: 9784946428388 Size: 148×210 mm, Hardback Page: 314 Click here to read	In the 21st century, psychological sciences have to address a huge variety of issues such as aging, information processing in the brain, education, family and communication. This collection of 16 papers provides the reader with intriguing topics of modern psychology. Especially, the reader will understand what issues Japanese society is encountering through the researchers’ investigations. The research and discoveries described in this book must be useful and interesting for the reader.

	The Baum Test: A Study of Personality Diagnosis Through Tree-drawing Author: Shigeru Kosaka Publishing date: October 1, 2008 Price: JPY 6,500. ISBN: 9784946428371 Size: 148×210 mm, Hardback Page: 134 Click here to read	This book is written according to the numerous numbers of analysis and diagnosis through the Baum test conducted by the author. It is written in a way that people involved in psychology and education can make references easily when they conduct personality diagnosis. While references to the index exhibited by Koch, the founder of Baum test, are made faithfully, readers can fully understand the methods of analysis and diagnosis through the author's experiences with the Baum test.

	Religion, Science and Sustainability Editor: Takeshi Kimura Publishing date: March 1, 2008 Price: JPY 6,000. ISBN: 9784946428357 Size: 148×210 mm, Hardback Page: 272	A scholarly book from New Research Initiatives in Humanities and Social Sciences, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, aiming at exploring new intellectual research domains. This collection of essays is a result of an international collaboration focusing on Religion, Science and Sustainability. It is an important contribution to Religious Studies, Anthropology and now emerging Sustainability Studies.

	Honda: Its Technology and Management Author: Tsutomu Demizu Publishing date: March 1, 2003 Price: JPY 9,300. ISBN: 9784946428289 Size: 148×210 mm, Hardback Page: 328	This book is about the creation and development of the enterprise dynamism of Honda Motor company, which started from a town factory after the war and grew into a global enterprise. It analyzes the technology development and production from the period of Honda’s establishment by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa to the present day and its current management. The book information is a highly accurate history created through repeated interviews with Honda personnel.

	A History of The Rafu Shimpo: Japanese and their newspaper in Los Angeles Author: Katie Kaori Hayashi Publishing date: November 1, 1997 Price: JPY 2,900. ISBN: 9784946428180 Size: 148×210 mm, Paperback Page: 228	This book investigates the pre-war history of The Rafu Shimpo which is the oldest Japanese-American newspaper published in the U.S.A. It reveals an unusual history and characteristics of the paper that develped from a monolingual immigrant paper to a bilingual ethnic newspaper. The Rafu Shimpo captured the joys, sorrows, angers, and resentments of its readers. This book reveals the paper’s formation, development, and expansion as well as its dual characteristics as a bilingual newspaper.

	Dengonban Message Author: James Kirkup Publishing date: 1981 Price: JPY 1,200. ISBN: 9784946428043 Size: 145×105 mm, Paperback Page: 190	A collection of hundreds of one-line Haiku and Senryu published during the last fifteen years in the Haiku magazine “Shikai” and in various western periodicals such as “The Time Literary Supplement”, “New Statement”, etc. With an introductory essay on “The Monostich” by James Kirkup. Dengonban is the green noticeboard found at railway stations in Japan, on which arriving or departing travelers can inscribe for friends or relatives who may have missed them or may be arriving later.

	Cold Mountain Poems Author: James Kirkup Publishing date: 1980 Price: JPY 5,000. ISBN: 9784946428036 Size: 220×220 mm, Paperback Page: 50 Click here to read

	Bon-Odori in Tokushima: Essays of a Portuguese hermit in Japan Author: Wenceslau de Moraes Translator: Kazuo Okamoto Publishing date: 1979 Price: JPY 1,500. ISBN: 9784946428029 Size: 148×210 mm, Paperback Page: 168	This book is about the essays of Moraes, a Portuguese hermit who lived in Japan. It includes rare photographs and English translations from the original Portuguese. An insight into the things and people of Japan a century ago, observed through the eyes of a westerner who lived by himself.

	Zen Contemplations Author: James Kirkup Publishing date: 1978 Price: JPY 1,800. ISBN: 9784946428012 Size: 130×200 mm, Paperback Page: 70	A collection of poems on the themes of Zen Buddhism, the Tao, the Birth of Buddha, Han Shan and Shi Teh and others, with a poem essay, “A Good Friday in Japan”, and an introduction by the author. The poems in this book are also illusions, but their author believes that they may help others seeking self-awareness, or relief from physical or mental pain. Zen Contemplations, read by the author, is also available as a CD (90 minutes, Price: JPY 5,000).

	Kadensho: A Secret Book of Noh Art Author: Ze-Ami Translated: Nobori Asaji Publishing date: 1975 Price: JPY 1,800. ISBN: 9784946428005 Size: 130×200 mm, Paperback Page: 144	This English version of Ze-ami’s Kadensho or the Flower Book by Professor Nobori Asaji has been edited for the first time of publication in Japan. It is hoped that the present volume will be an invaluable book of reference on the secrets and mysteries of the time-honored Noh Art of the Japanese people by all those who admire the art from both at home and abroad. With frontispieces: The spirit of iris flowers in Kakitsubata, Asura in Yashima, The Living-Phantasm in Aoi-no-ue, Okina Mask.