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This introductory review aims to subject Anne Allison's Precarious Japan (2013) to wider thinking and practices of autonomy, and to open it up to the book review forum for non-Japanese-speaking readers. First, it should be noted that so-called radical thought in Italy has permeated Japan and the English-speaking world since the publication of Empire in 2000. The translation of this and other key works of this thought has raised awareness of the intellectual and political background of concepts such as operaismo (workerism) and autonomia (autonomy). Further, some of the major concepts emanating from these movements, such as withdrawal, autonomy, refusal, composition, and creativity have penetrated the sphere of influence of some activists and researchers in Japan.Two famous thinkers from this Italian intellectual circle have visited Japan in recent years: Franco Berardi (alias Bifo) and Toni Negri. During their stay, both tackled the social and political issues of Japanese capitalist society (or 'precarious Japan') from their workerist stance.On first reading Precarious Japan, I immediately recognized frequent references to Berardi's insights. Allison admits trying to 'apply what he [Berardi] argues about soul alienation, and resistance […] to the condition of precarity and precariat in twentyfirst century Japan' (p. 16).