The monograph is our latest publication created thanks to the scientific cooperation between Polish and Japanese researchers from the Department of International Business at the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, and Takasaki City University of Economics. The results of their research provide an overview of selected trends and challenges present in the global economy. As a mosaic of diverse research subjects, this book is dedicated to readers who look for multidimensional insights into the modern trends and phenomena occurring in the global economy. This monograph is recommended to students of economics who want to acquire knowledge about the selected tendencies, and researchers who would like to broaden their knowledge in the area of current trends in the globalized world economy, as well as entrepreneurs and business practitioners seeking information about the cultural aspects of the global economic phenomena.

The present volume curates papers presented at an international conference organized at OUCIP to engage with the oceanic turn in different fields of knowledge embracing Social Sciences, Humanities and, Physical Sciences to project the Indian Ocean as the new frontier of research across various disciplines. The papers are divided into four sections: The Oceanic Reach has papers reflecting on the received knowledge regarding the historical role and reach of the Indian Ocean and providing new insights in the evolving dynamics of the region. The section on Literature and Culture has essays reflecting the different trajectories within Humanities and Cultural Studies through which Indian Ocean has stimulated the imagination of scholars, intellectuals, diasporic writers, and culture historians. The section on Roots and Routes includes accounts of the historical, cultural, religious, trade and diasporic linkages across oceanic communities inhabiting the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. The final section on Power Games includes papers that deal with the increasing interests of various international powers in the Indian Ocean region particularly in the context of the shift from the Asian land mass to the enormous presence of the Indian Ocean, and the economic, political and strategic significance that it has for the entire region. Taken together these contributions offer both an opportunity and a challenge for interested scholars to engage with Indian Ocean as a new frontier of knowledge with enormous potential for research and exploration. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

An innovative, interdisciplinary perspective on soft power in history, moving beyond the framework of the nation-state Starting in the nineteenth century, as world events became more interconnected than ever, and as public opinion began to weigh on democratic governments, nations employed new communication strategies and propaganda to gain global influence and prestige. Soft power strategies were used by different nation-states, and by supranational and nonstate actors, that wanted to gain influence on the international stage. Soft Power Beyond the Nation takes a distinct approach to the study of soft power in history, moving beyond the framework of the nation-state. The volume editors use "soft power" to refer to the processes through which persuasion, the search for influence and power, and public opinion converge in the international arena. The book is organized on the basis of three central themes: the transnational circulation of knowledge and strategies of public diplomacy across borders, collaboration of intermediary actors of soft power whose interests did not always coincide with those of the state, and the role played by nonnational identities, such as gender and race, in soft power. Soft Power Beyond the Nation enriches the historiographical study of soft power, broadening its temporal and spatial scope and refreshing it with new perspectives on transnationalism, gender, and race. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of history and international relations.

Fleenor fires up an epic tale of youth caught in the turmoil of descending world events leading to war in Japan. Fleenor draws on his 40 years' experience of living in Japan to create a story embued with factual information and subtle understanding of the pre-war and war era. As in earlier novels he has chosen Karuizawa and Asama as a backdrop but has widened the stage to include China, Europe, and the United States. American readers will enjoy the chapters that take place in Oregon and Northern Indiana near Lake Michigan. In ""Season for Leviathan"" the author adds unique color to events in Japan experienced by foreigners and Japanese who lived through the war. The Plot: Why is Erik Steffensen mentally disturbed? What events in his life in the autumn of 1941 led up to his predicament? The Japanese authorities will not allow him to leave Japan. They have limited, yet encouraged his odd activities... Who is the girl?

Second homes (variously summer houses, shacks, baches, cottages, dacha) are a popular cultural phenomenon in many countries and an emerging trend in others. They are inextricably linked to tourism, recreation and leisure, and yet the fundamental relationship between second homes and leisure often appears to have been overlooked by researchers in the area. This book seeks to address this absence, bringing together an exciting collection of research from around the world. Drawing on examples from Canada, Japan, Morocco, Costa Rica, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, this book highlights the interdisciplinary nature of second home research in the leisure field. The book describes the nexus of second homes and leisure from a variety of perspectives: planning and policy, historical, social and cultural. It is an essential work for those interested in new cultural viewpoints on second homes and leisure practices. This book was originally published as a special issue of Annals of Leisure Research.