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Societal Constitutionalism in Japan: Neighbourhood Associations as Micro-relational Constitutional Sites
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 July 2019
Abstract
Over the past few years, Japan has been witnessing the emergence, regeneration, and spread of micro-relational forms of cohesion, solidarity, and responsibility in response to the ryūdō-ka shakai and hikikomori phenomena. These terms refer to the crisis of social relations and co-operation, which commenced after the collapse of the Japanese economy in the early 1990s. While scholars, particularly sociologists and anthropologists, have consistently inquired into these micro-sites of civic friendship and responsibility, their juridical status is yet to be ascertained. This article argues that the paradigm of societal constitutionalism developed by Gunther Teubner can be of precious assistance in conducting such an assessment. In particular, it offers a contextualization of Teubner’s reflections on constitutional pluralism and fragmentation of social functions from the perspective of Kiyoshi Hasegawa’s state-centric scholarship on the regulatory dynamics of neighbourhood associations as micro-relational communities in suburban areas. A particular is given, and only given, within relations.1
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- © Cambridge University Press and KoGuan Law School, Shanghai Jiao Tong University 2019
Footnotes
Part of this article was written during a visiting scholar programme at the Graduate School of Law, Kobe University in May–July 2018. The research and visit were funded by a Regular Research Grant of The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation (GBSF; Grant Application Number 5278). My sincere thanks to the GBSF for funding my research and stay as well as to Professor Hiroshi Takahashi for hosting me at Kobe University and helpful conversations and exchanges. An earlier draft of the article was presented at the 22nd Biannual Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, held at the University of Sydney on 3–5 July 2018 (Japanese Law Panel, chaired by Professor Luke Nottage). I wish to thank all those who provided me with valuable suggestions. I am also indebted to two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. Errors are mine only. Correspondence to Dr Luca Siliquini-Cinelli, . E-mail address: [email protected].