Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of the social realities of marginalization in contemporary Japanese society, locating the gap in existing literature that the present volume will address. The chapter reviews core theoretical frameworks motivating the analyses undertaken across this volume including those associated with: marginalization, the linguistic (and extra-linguistic) performance of social identities, intersectionality, and ba 'place' theory. Situating both data and theory, the chapter offers observations on contemporary social conditions in Japan, further underscoring the relevance and urgency of the present volume. It concludes with a brief review of the subsequent chapters and their relationship to each other.