This work is an excellent examination of the relationship between language planning and language change in Japan at the end of the 20th century, highlighting the shift in such activities against a background of significant socio-cultural, political, and economic change and placing them in a comparative context. Particular emphasis is laid on the role of language planning in the production and promotion of desirable language attitudes and behaviour, and how these form part of Japan's self-image and identity. Language planning viewed in this broad sense can be seen as contributing to the construction of national identity by the state. Issues investigated include the concept of disorder in language in various manifestations; changes in official language; changing attitudes to regional dialects; and the impact of globalisation and technological advances.