Jason Danely (2014). Aging and Loss: Mourning and Maturity in Contemporary Japan. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 246 pp. ISBN 978 0 8135 6516 3 (paperback)

Abstract

REVIEWED by ELS-MARIE ANBACKEN* Ih ave read a lot of literature on Japanese society and aging since the early 1990s. A recurring theme is the issue of care and filial duty in a changing society: Who cares, who should care, and where? Danely has composed a unique tapestry which tells the (hi)story of aging, care and intergenera- tional relations by using aesthetics and spirituality as tools for analysis. In doing so, new aspects of the experience of aging as experiences of loss are dealt with, in the intersections of aging studies, religion and, perhaps, gerontological social work. The ethnography unfolds, starting out from the choice of site and informants to careful interpretations of conversations and participant observations. The in-depth stories and analyses of this interweave with theoretical reflections resulted in a rich ''story,'' which is both an academic study and a piece of fine art. Throughout the ethnography, Danely uses the cultural reference of Ubasuteyama, the mountain where old grannies were taken by their eldest son to die. Danely draws on this tale in a deeply creative way across time to show that it continues to influence the ways old age care is dispensed till this day. Even though eldercare is available, the view of filial duty as an ideal for care appears to linger on, but interwoven with individual