critical-japan is an open forum for the critical and theoretical discussion of all things cultural, primarily for people resident in Japan. Topics of discussion are wide and varied, ranging through culture, society, literature, the arts, media, politics and economics. Discussion in these areas is broad, and attempts to bring a fresh, sharp look to the issues at hand. Members are mostly working in the area of education, with interests that extend as wide as the discussion itself; from jazz to James Joyce, from avant-garde cinema to the contemporary socio-political problems of Japan, Europe and the United States, from quantum mechanics to deconstruction. Our tone, such as it is, might be described as pluralist or leftist-liberal or humanist: it is, we hope, generally tolerant. All perspectives are welcome that are inquiring, open and fitting a multi-cultural and international grouping. While this may be considered a forum for the chattering classes, our common concern is the cultural value of inquisitive, radical, rigorous, speculative and meditative criticism and theory.