Christopher P. Hood

My research interests relating to Japan are broad, however the central themes are relating to identity and symbolism. My doctoral research and first book, Japanese Education Reform: Nakasone's Legacy, were on education reforms in Japan and the influence of Prime Minister Nakasone.

My next project was on the shinkansen ('bullet train'), looking at the ways in which it both reflects aspects of Japanese society and the ways in which it has influenced Japanese society. This book, Shinkansen - From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan, was published originally in 2006, with a paperback version published in 2007.

My third book is about the Japan Air Lines flight JL123 crash in 1985. Although the book, Dealing with Disaster in Japan: Responses to the Flight JL123 Crash, published in 2011, discusses the reasons for the crash, it primarily looks at what can be learnt about Japanese, and to some extent global, society by looking at what happened following the crash.

I have also been working on a number of other projects over the past few years. For example, I was the editor of The Politics of Modern Japan, a 4 volume collection of articles on Japanese politics, published in 2008. I was also co-editor, with Prof. G. Bownas and D. Powers, of Doing Business with the Japanese, published in 2003.