Аннотация:Abstract The dominant categories of Japanese identity portray Japan as strong, capitalist economy. The growth of the economy since World War II is a particular source of national pride. While this provides some support for Western capitalism, a counter-discourse highlights concern with the negative impact of capitalism. Moreover, Japanese identity is closely tied to cooperation, mutual aid, family, sacrifice, and equality. These values are linked with welfarism and state-led responses to social problems. The result is a national identity discourse filled with conflicting elements embodied in ambivalent attitudes toward the state, familial and community autonomy, and capitalist growth. Finally, while Japan has democratic institutions, its status as a democracy is not discussed in the texts, introducing some ambiguity about Japanese support for Western democracy.
