Japan is often seen through the lens of an unusually resilient stereotype that it is a nation of risk-averse conformists. In “Japanese Rebels,” David McNeill and Stephen McClure McNeill and 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 the hope of dispelling it. The authors profile people who have dared to make their voices heard in a society that has traditionally placed a premium on fitting in and not rocking the boat. By telling their unique stories, “Japanese Rebels” it offers readers a more nuanced and deeper understanding of movements for change in historical and contemporary Japan.

A critical read for academics and scholars in the fields of Japanese Studies, Asian Studies, Sociology and Anthropology, as well as those with a longstanding interest in Japan and Asia, especially in individual or social movements for reform and freedom of expression.