Japanese Body and Self ____________________________________________________________

In this paper, I critically assess the possibilities for understanding Japanese individual and collective identity through the lens of embodiment. A discussion of Japanese beliefs and practices centred on constituting a socially sustainable identity form the basis for a review of concerns with the embodied self in Western sociology. I examine the status of the ÔbodyÕ in Japanese traditions, as well as the relevance of bodily practices to notions of self. I conclude that while the Japanese subject is seemingly ÔdecentredÕ from a Western perspective, the Japanese self is oriented to functioning in social and cultural space densely populated with highly situational cues for personal conduct.