Sixty years on from the end of the Pacific War, Japan on Display examines representations of the Meiji emperor, Mutsuhito (1852-1912) and his grandson the Showa emperor, Hirohito who was regarded as a symbol of the nation, in both war and peacetime. Much of this representation was aided by the phenomenon of photography. The introduction and development of photography in the nineteenth century coincided with the need to make Hirohito’s grandfather, the young Meiji Emperor, more visible. Photo books and albums became a popular format for presenting seemingly objective images of the monarch, reminding the Japanese of their proximity to the Emperor, and the imperial family. In the twentieth century, these 'national albums’ provided a visual record of wars fought in the name of the Emperor, while also documenting the reconstruction of Tokyo, scientific expeditions, and imperial tours. Drawing on archival documents, photographs, and sources in both Japanese and English, this book throws new light on the history of twentieth-century Japan and the central role of Hirohito. With Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War, the Emperor was transformed from wartime leader to peace-loving scientist. Japan on Display seeks to understand this reinvention of a more 'human’ Emperor and the role that photography played in the process.

This book sheds light on a little-known aspect of the Imperial family of Japan: For three generations, members of the family have devoted themselves to biological research. Emperor Showa (Hirohito) was an expert on hydrozoans and slime molds. His son, Emperor Akihito, is an ichthyologist specializing in gobioid fishes, and his research is highly respected in the field. Prince Akishino, Emperor Akihito’s son, is known for his research on giant catfish and the domestication of fowl, while Prince Hitachi, Emperor Akihito’s brother, has conducted research on cancer in animals. The book shows how they became interested in biology, how seriously they were committed to their research, what their main scientific contributions are, and how their achievements are valued by experts at home and abroad. To commemorate the 60-year reign of Emperor Showa and his longtime devotion to biology, the International Prize for Biology was founded in 1985. The prize seeks to recognize and encourage researches in basic biology. A list of winners and a summary of their research are presented in the last part of the book. The author, an eminent biologist who has given lectures to the Imperial Family, explains their research and tells the fascinating story of biology and the Imperial Family of Japan. The book is a valuable resource, not only for biology students and researchers, but also for historians and anyone interested in science and the Royal and Imperial families.

This book summarizes the status quo of the knowledge about the biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine animals that live in Japan. Consisting of some 6,800 islands that are arrayed for approximately 3,500 km from north to south, the Japanese archipelago has a complex history in a paleogeographic formation process over time and harbors rich flora and fauna. This work will contribute to establishing a general biogeographic theory in archipelagoes around continental shelves. Facing the ongoing extinction crisis, one of the most important tasks for our generation is to bequeath this precious natural heritage to future generations. As the first step toward this goal, a species list has been compiled through solid, steady alpha-taxonomic work in each taxon. Furthermore, the phylogeography and population genetic structure for each species is elucidated for deeper understanding of the local fauna, the scientific results of which should be the basis for establishing conservation policies and strategies. Also the problem of alien or introduced species is investigated as another threat to the native fauna.Each of the 27 chapters is written by the most active specialist leading the field, thus readers can acquire up-to-date knowledge of the animal species diversity and their formation process of Japanese animals in the most comprehensive form available. This book is recommended for researchers and students who are interested in species diversity, biogeography, and phylogeography.

A current and comprehensive species list of marine invertebrates of Alaska is essential for effective management of living marine resources, sustainable fisheries, conservation of vulnerable ecosystems, and advancement of our knowledge of biodiversity and ecosystem function. Furthermore, the most current checklist available to resource managers and scientists is quite dated and limited in that it only includes the marine invertebrates of the southern coast of Alaska to California. Since that checklist was published, many new species have been described, many range extensions have been discovered, and considerable changes in higher-level systematics have been made. The checklist that we have compiled lists 3708 species and presents for each species the currently accepted scientific name and its significant synonyms, common names, type localities, geographic and depth distributions, a general statement of abundance in Alaska when known (e.g., rare, uncommon, common, abundant), and general remarks. It includes species recorded in the marine waters of Alaska from the intertidal zone, continental shelf, and upper continental slope to abyssal depths, from the Beaufort Sea at the Arctic border with Yukon, Canada; the eastern Chukchi Sea, the eastern Bering Sea, the Aleutian Islands to the western border with Russia; and the Gulf of Alaska to Dixon Entrance at the southern border with British Columbia. Sound and reliable taxonomic identifications are necessary to monitor and predict changes in the distribution and abundance of marine species. The current status and future direction of the study of Alaskan marine invertebrate biodiversity are briefly discussed.

Echinoderms are an ancient and diverse group of marine animals with a rich fossil record. They occur abundantly in all modern oceans and at all depths, where they contribute importantly to patterns in biodiversity and to the structure and functioning of marine systems. It is therefore vital to understand how they will respond to a rapidly cha