My research has focused most generally on the question of modernity, with particular emphasis on Japan. I approach the anthropology of modernity from several perspectives. One takes its inspiration from critical theory and its varied anatomies of the crises of the modern (most emblematically revealed by fascism). My work on mass media, capitalism, and everyday life is informed by these approaches. Related to my interests in critical theory are my concerns with questions of representation and interpretation opened up by semiotic and post-semiotic protocols of reading and textual analysis. Finally, I am committed to keeping the crucial importance of historical reflection in the forefront of my research, teaching, and ethnographic practice.