Some books seek to establish new ground while others seek to expand the contours of existing paradigms through the use of interesting cases. This book fits the latter mold and does so exceptionally well. David Leheny's research on leisure politics provides a well-documented and well-written empirical study of the Japanese government's role in the everyday lives of citizens. Building on previous works in anthropology, history, and sociological theory, he examines the historical development of Japan's leisure world in the context of an active developmental state. In particular, the approach and themes addressed in this book parallel Sheldon Garon's (1998) Molding Japanese Minds: The State in Everyday Life.

According to Leheny, the Japanese government created and continues to craft leisure policies that seek to balance contradictory goals. These goals include the pursuit of Western models of leisure commensurate with Japan's economic modernization and the preservation of Japanese culture uniqueness. As he states (p. 41), “They (bureaucrats) know [original emphasis] … that Japan is supposed to be an advanced industrial nation, and therefore the Japanese should behave like citizens of other nations. They also know [original emphasis], because they take it for granted, that the Japanese are unique, and that the uniqueness should be valued and protected.”

Numerous factors constrain Japanese bureaucrats in the development of leisure policies. In addition to the Western model and the Japanese uniqueness orientation exhibited by Japanese bureaucrats, Leheny notes that conflicting economic and bureaucratic demands impact policies. Leisure policy reflects the successes and failures of Japan's modernization and nation-building process. His three empirical chapters explore the evolution of Japan's leisure policy during the Meiji and pre–World War II era, during the post–World War II developmental state era of rapid growth, and in the latter quarter of the twentieth century as Japan industrializes.

The discussion of leisure during the Meiji and prewar Showa periods suffers from an almost singular focus on the tourism industry. Was it that Japanese government officials during this era did not value nontourism activities? While passing note was made about the introduction of baseball and amusement parks, a more rigorous discussion about these in the context of modernization versus Westernization would have proved useful. As it turns out, the pre–World War II discussion, by default, centers almost exclusively on tourism and the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB). This bureau, according to Leheny, played an instrumental role in the development of modern national-railways-based tourism within the country (pp. 58–65). During the 1930s, commensurate with the militarization of Japan, the tourism business was coopted by nationalists and militarists and took on a more introspective character.

During the U.S.-led occupation of Japan, the United States sought to mold the Japanese society toward democratic and individual-centered society, rather than a collective and state-centered organic system. This foray into social engineering affected leisure policies directly. Leheny should have focused on the reforms of this period and their impact on leisure policy, particularly the arts. Instead, Chapter 4 focuses almost exclusively on leisure in the 1970s and its ties to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) government's economic policies. This is a major shortcoming because democratization and its failures during the occupation and the years following it are crucial for an understanding of modern post–World War II Japanese politics and society. Democratization deserved greater attention so that the continuities and discontinuities of leisure policy from the prewar to the postwar era could be accurately traced.

Chapters 4 and 5 focus on the transformation of Japanese leisure in the context of the country's economic growth and a deep-seated concern among many Japanese that their quality of life lagged behind the West. During the 1960s and 1970s, policymakers used leisure policies for economic purposes. Leheny's discussion of the Leisure Development Office's activities provides a useful analysis of the Economic Planning Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry's (MITI) orientation toward leisure as an extension of economic policy. By relying on white paper equivalents, the author's meticulous research in this area clearly demonstrates that leisure policy was constructed in the context of Japanese social and economic needs, with Western models serving as a comparative framework. During the 1980s and 1990s, the emphasis on internationalization played an important role in promoting consumption of foreign goods and services and travel abroad as valid forms of recreation for the Japanese. However, as Leheny notes, programs such as the “Ten Million Program,” illustrate the enlightened self-interest of bureaucrats in crafting national policies. Not only did this program cater to Japanese and overseas interests, but it also provided a raison d'etre for Japanese bureaucrats who could obtain employment in the tourism industry after retirement. Simultaneously, the official development assistance (ODA) policy became an extension of Japanese travel in the Pacific region.

The Rules of Play provides important insight into the role of government in shaping the lives of ordinary citizens as part of a nation-building project. Social engineering exists in all societies, but in Japan, the government takes a much more active role in creating and implementing these policies, as Leheny clearly demonstrates through his research. Perhaps because of its esoteric nature, he goes far beyond what is necessary to legitimize this research, including the use of several obscure personal examples. Instead, the author should realize that his work appeals to those who study politics from a broader perspective.