Japan: Its History and Culture

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

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Japan: Its History and Culture (Paperback) Morton has made an effort to impart understanding of Japanese heritage and culture. For the most part, he succeeds; the historical survey has about the right amount of depth for this type of book, and cultural issues are discussed. What would have made it better would have been a section on specifically Japanese concepts that are hard for non-Japanese to grasp accurately. Many are touched on throughout the book, but words such as 'wa' and 'giri' really deserve a page or two each to go into full descriptiveness, and that doesn't happen. It is clear that Morton has the understanding of them to share; I wish he'd done so.