Considering cultural anthropology as a discipline that studies the current state of culture, in making Japan the subject of anthropological research one finds that there are both advantages to anthropology as well as a number of problems to be overcome. Some of these problems demand great effort to negotiate, but at the same time these are problems that cultural anthropology is ideally suited to take on. In doing so, it may bring about development in anthropological theory and methodology as well as show the particular utility of cultural anthropology in resolving strained social and cultural problems. In Japanese studies, no matter the research theme or area studied, there is a vast amount of previous research from various disciplines and a reservoir of unanalyzed historical and folkloric documents. To utilize these documents and previous research presents an anthropological challenge. Another challenge is in chipping away at the entrenched belief amongst Japanese in "Japan's cultural homogeneity and stability" in conjunction with producing research in counter to the widely popular genre of Nihonbunkaron literature. This may provide clues for resolving current social problems that form growing fissures in Japanese society and culture and, moreover, stem from the shroud of false recognition of "Japanese cultural homogeneity."

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The non-compliance of patients suffering from Atopic Dermatitis (AD) has been a vital matter in Japan since the 1990s. The main reason for non-compliance is the side effects of steroids, the most common treatment medication. This paper aims to reveal the experiences of AD patients who suffer from side effects of steroids in order to show patients' perspectives, which are completely lacking in medical discourses. This paper also focuses on AD sufferers' thoughts towards a cure, as it is an important point to understand their decision making in regard to treatments. This paper also argues that AD sufferers' confusion is caused by the contemporary medical situation, which is characterized by an increase in incurable chronic diseases, a "new medical pluralism," and an increase in the availability of a wider range of treatments.

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This article examines the meaning of a distinctive cultural style referred to as "Blackfella Way" as seen in the Aboriginal people in Adelaide, Australia. In earlier studies, "Blackfella Way" was characterized by the notion of "caring and sharing" and was considered to be inherent in urban Aboriginal people. It was clear from the author's case study, however, that a discrepancy exists between discourse on "caring and sharing" and actual practice. Although sanctions were occasionally imposed upon those who were not raised in an Aboriginal environment when their behaviors deviated from "Blackfella Way," that was not the case with Aboriginal people whose kinship connections with the community were strong. Thus, it can be said that "Blackfella Way" is not a self-evident cultural style, but an ideology invoked when the cultural boundary between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people becomes ambiguous and is consequently invoked to reinforce the definition of being Aborigines.

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This article focuses on the trance seances of two elderly female spirit mediums in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, and their devotees' viewpoints on these seances. To shed light on the creativity and adaptability of the mediums' practice, the article explores the reasons why this local religious phenomenon is being revived among the middle and lower classes in the contemporary context of urbanization and consumerism. The seances work to symbolically guarantee the well-being of devotees in their everyday lives in line with both traditional cosmology and ongoing urbanization processes; this tendency reflects the practical needs of this contemporary local society. Given that this kind of adaptation has been observed for a few decades, it is apparent that the mediumship has reactivated its own potential to extend its ritual boundaries and create new repertoires. This demonstrates its intrinsic ability to adapt itself to the social environment of the times.

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