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Product Description
This work offers a fascinating look at Japan's complex history. This revised fourth edition of the popular work, "Japan: Its History and Culture", stretches from the nation's earliest known civilization (about 30009 BCE) to the present. Delightfully written in a continuous narrative form, it traces the many aspects of Japanese art, religion, the imperial court, militarism, race, geography, and agriculture, and carefully analyzes the rich social, political, and economic life of Asia's wealthiest nation. This new edition also covers the fascinating new developments in Japan. Once a star of postwar industrial production and methods, Japan has encountered serious trouble with market forces in recent years.Social changes and departures from tradition are becoming more common in this conservative country, and the authors document and explain these changes. Seamlessly blending current events, politics, and cultural elements, the authors provide a riveting account of a nation often misunderstood by the West. More than a chronicle of names and date, this book also casts fascinating sidelights on significant personalities, works of literature, and historic events. A brief chronology offers a quick and easy means of reference. Richly anecdotal and vividly illustrated with a map and many photographs, this book presents a panoramic view of Japan, old and new. 'Comprehensive, thorough, and sensitive, it covers the whole of Japanese activity to the present day. At last there exists a full and balanced assessment of what Japan means' - "The London Times Literary Supplement".
From the Back Cover
A fascinating look at Japan's complex history
This revised fourth edition of the popular work, Japan: Its History and Culture, stretches from the nation's earliest known civilization (about 30009 BCE) to the present. Delightfully written in a continuous narrative form, it traces the many aspects of Japanese art, religion, the imperial court, militarism, race, geography, and agriculture, and carefully analyzes the rich social, political, and economic life of Asia's wealthiest nation.
This new edition also covers the fascinating new developments in Japan. Once a star of postwar industrial production and methods, Japan has encountered serious trouble with market forces in recent years. Social changes and departures from tradition are becoming more common in this conservative country, and the authors document and explain these changes. Seamlessly blending current events, politics, and cultural elements, the authors provide a riveting account of a nation often misunderstood by the West.
More than a chronicle of names and date, this book also casts fascinating sidelights on significant personalities, works of literature, and historic events. A brief chronology offers a quick and easy means of reference. Richly anecdotal and vividly illustrated with a map and many photographs, this book presents a panoramic view of Japan, old and new.
"Comprehensive, thorough, and sensitive, it covers the whole of Japanese activity to the present day. At last there exists a full and balanced assessment of what Japan means."--The London Times Literary Supplement
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First Sentence
The origins of the Japanese people are mixed and obscure. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The origins of the Japanese people are mixed and obscure. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a book in two sections: the first section (most of the book) is a history of Japan through to the postwar period. This section was published as the first edition of the book in 1970. The second section, intended to bring the book up to date, was written in 2003 by a different author and gives an account of the culture, recent politics and economic life of Japan.
The book does what it claims to do: I read it to accompany a trip to Japan and it did give me a decent grounding in the history and politics that made my trip much more enjoyable. However, its structure - two sections written over thirty years apart - makes it clunky and at times frustrating.
The history is very much in the old fashioned "great man" style. It's an account of 14 centuries of emperors, shoguns and warloads and the battles between them. Ordinary people, women, even economic history are largely absent. Reading it really reminded me of my school history books, even down to dreadful low quality black and white photos that I'm sure date back to the original 1970s version of this book.
The second world war and immediate post-war period is inadequately covered. The American author was writing in 1970, not so long after the war. Probably as a result, he paints an almost entirely positive picture of American policy - the decision to use the atomic bomb to end the war and then the conduct of the American occupation of Japan. A modern writer would, I am sure, take a much more nuanced view.
Further, there is no account in this book of Japan in the sixties, seventies and eighties - that period falls into the crack between the two separate sections of the book.
All in all, I would recommend this book - there doesnt seem to be any other short introduction to Japanese history and life out there- but be aware of the weaknesses before you buy!
The book does what it claims to do: I read it to accompany a trip to Japan and it did give me a decent grounding in the history and politics that made my trip much more enjoyable. However, its structure - two sections written over thirty years apart - makes it clunky and at times frustrating.
The history is very much in the old fashioned "great man" style. It's an account of 14 centuries of emperors, shoguns and warloads and the battles between them. Ordinary people, women, even economic history are largely absent. Reading it really reminded me of my school history books, even down to dreadful low quality black and white photos that I'm sure date back to the original 1970s version of this book.
The second world war and immediate post-war period is inadequately covered. The American author was writing in 1970, not so long after the war. Probably as a result, he paints an almost entirely positive picture of American policy - the decision to use the atomic bomb to end the war and then the conduct of the American occupation of Japan. A modern writer would, I am sure, take a much more nuanced view.
Further, there is no account in this book of Japan in the sixties, seventies and eighties - that period falls into the crack between the two separate sections of the book.
All in all, I would recommend this book - there doesnt seem to be any other short introduction to Japanese history and life out there- but be aware of the weaknesses before you buy!
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Just finished this well-written and informative book. Covers eveything very well. A little long on the post WWII era, taking up about a third of the book, but it certainly sets the scene for my forthcoming visit with some useful insights.
1 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
The book is very interesting when I think about the content. That great!
But I have a Kindle version and that's not similarly impressive. I cant change the kind of font (I prefer sans-serif, the book has only serif font). At some places letters are hardly recognisable like in a badly printed traditional book. So, sometimes (luckily just several times) I had to guess the words.
But I have a Kindle version and that's not similarly impressive. I cant change the kind of font (I prefer sans-serif, the book has only serif font). At some places letters are hardly recognisable like in a badly printed traditional book. So, sometimes (luckily just several times) I had to guess the words.
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