THE "LOST DECADE" OF THE 1990s AND SHIFTING MASCULINITIES IN JAPAN.

The "Lost Decade" of the 1990s, extending into the early 2000s, was a particularly crucial period in Japan's recent history. On the one hand, these years were characterized by significant economic and social upheaval. At the same time, these years were witness to increasing challenges in the public sphere to societally dominant discourses, including those relating to gender, and in particular, masculinity. This paper provides an overview of the shifts in discourses of masculinity over these years. It contends that an understanding of the changes that occurred during the "Lost Decade" is necessary in order to appreciate the dynamics of men's lives in Japan today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]