This text provides a comparative examination of Britain within the European Union, and Japan within the Pacific Rim. The economic, political and social development of Britain and Japan are viewed within their respective supranational context while particular attention is paid to the implications of the state/citizenship/gender/nexus. The Britain/Japan comparison is used in order to refine social science insights, concepts and theories and at the same time assess and inform relevant social and economic policies. The book is aimed at departments of sociology (courses in political sociology and the state), sociology, European studies, Japanese studies, Asian studies, international relations, and gender studies.