To say that a book is timely does not generate the sense of novelty or curiosity as it once did – the claim is being made too frequently, with numerous books and articles published each day. Yet, there is something noteworthy about this book, not only because of the splendid content it offers, but also because it highlights the possibility of doing something together in challenging times. Similar to what the title of the book suggests about Japanese small-scale fisheries, the world is in the ‘era of big change,’ with rising concerns related to global warming, globalization and environmental sustainability. But as the book shows, many of the changes have origins and deep historical roots that need to be traced and examined in order to fully understand why things are what they are today, and to figure out what to do next.

This TBTI e-book is a real treat for everyone, whether you’re familiar or not with Japanese fisheries. The book editors, Yinji Li and Tamano Namikawa, invited 48 contributors to cover all aspects of small-scale fisheries in Japan without losing sights of the broader picture, and with an intention to situate Japanese small-scale fisheries in the global context.