Rules of Play

David Leheny is Henry Wendt III '55 Professor of East Asian Studies at Princeton University. He is the author of Think Global, Fear Local: Sex, Violence, and Anxiety in Contemporary Japan, also from Cornell.

In The Rules of Play, political scientist David Leheny deftly traces the government's efforts to define 'normal' leisure patterns for its citizens.... I concluded Leheny's readable and informative book with a strong belief that whatever the virtues of state involvement in other sectors (for example, public hygiene), bureaucratic attempts to shape leisure are not worthy of emulation.(International Herald Tribune/The Asahi Shimbun) This is the first political science book—and possibly the only academic book—that made me occasionally laugh out loud. To describe here what could possibly be funny about leisure policy (or about Leheny's way of describing it) would be as bad as giving away the ending of a movie. Suffice it to say that Leheny's book is tremendously readable. It is convincing in its assessment of Japan's major steps in the vast field of leisure policy and inspiring especially in the comparative chapters. Partly due to its captivating verve, The Rules of Play deserves to be read by political scientists and other scholars, but it will also do very well in undergraduate and graduate classes.(Journal of Japanese Studies) Considerable attention is given to the government's attempts to establish modern tourist attractions in Japan and to encourage the Japanese to use their leisure time to travel abroad so that foreigners will perceive the Japanese as modern people.(Foreign Affairs) Leheny (political science, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison) extends his previous work on Japan's leisure, recreation and tourism practices, providing a well-documented glimpse into the Japanese government's role in shaping its society's national identity. This well-referenced book provides unique insights for those interested in sports, recreation, leisure, tourism, and global community. Summing Up: Highly recommended.(Choice) The Rules of Play provides important insight into the role of government in shaping the lives of ordinary citizens as part of a nation-building project. Social engineering exists in all societies, but in Japan, the government takes a much more active role in creating and implementing these policies, as Leheny clearly demonstrates through his research.(Perspectives on Politics)

• Guns, butter, or paragliding? -- Leisure, policy, and identity -- Prewar leisure and tourism as "politics by other means" -- Good and bad words in Japanese leisure policy in the 1970s -- The last resorts of a lifestyle superpower -- It takes ten millionto meet a norm -- Failures of the imagination.