Learn about contemporary Japan while improving your language skills! JAPAN NOW! A Japanese Language Reader contains 17 fascinating stories and essays about contemporary Japanese society in parallel Japanese and English versions on facing pages. The stories are written by a number of experienced commentators on Japan, each with a distinctive style and point of view. Vocabulary lists, notes, exercises and discussion questions make this a great course book for classroom use or self-study, and the wide range of fascinating topics make it equally appealing for general readers. The topics covered include: * LBGTQ Rights in Japan — Eriko and Anna Sato explain how the Japanese courts have recently declared bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Is Japanese society finally becoming more inclusive? * Japan's Underground Tattoo Culture — Brian Ashcraft, author of Japanese Tattoos, takes a deep dive into the world of Japanese tattooing, an art traditionally practiced mainly by yakuza