What is the best book in english about the history of. This book fills in the gap between the opening of japan and world war ii that many other history books skim over. It takes students from the days of the shogunatethe feudal overlordship of the tokugawa familythrough the modernizing revolution launched by midlevel samurai in the late nineteenth century. From tokugawa times to the present, third edition, paints a richly nuanced and strikingly original portrait of the last two centuries of japanese history. History trends modern japanese literature abebooks.
The book covers both traditional culture such as sumo and tea ceremonies as well as modern japanese business and youth culture. It has the perfect combination of toprate scholarship, readability, and length. Now, without further ado 6 modern japanese novels you simply must read. Because the chapter files are presented in pdf format, you have the option of either viewing them online, or permanently downloading them to your computer. Japanese companies, too, which appeared unstoppable in the 1980s, are suddenly looking for international partners to help them out of their dire financial straits, hence the recent linkup between nissan and the french automobile company renault, preceded by the american company fords massive a short history of japan 2. Japanese tank patrols systematically eliminated these. This is a list of alternate history fiction, sorted by type. Japanese literature has a long and illustrious history, with its most famous classic, the tale of genji, dating back to the 11th century.
What are a few good books on samurai training translated in english. Nobukatsu fujioka is one of them and the author of one of the books that i read as part of my research. What is the best book that i can read about japanese culture and history. Often dark but full of humor, japanese literature showcases the idiosyncrasies of such a culturally driven nation. Written records of japanese date to the 8th century, the oldest among them being the kojiki 712. Nevertheless, some of the grammar and expressions in the book are somewhat anachronistic. From tokugawa times to the present by andrew gordon, embracing defeat. In other words, the modern history of japan has been inseparable from a larger modern history of the world. In a brilliant history of japan drawn from the top down and the bottom up, one of our best young historians conveys the turbulent political, economic, and social change that over four centuries positioned japan as a modern world power. Welcome to the internet history sourcebooks project, a collection of public domain and copypermitted historical texts presented cleanly without advertising or excessive layout for educational use. We take a look at 10 japanese books you need to read, from the words of haruki murakami to. Like its companion volume, the encyclopedia covers important political topics, the arts, religion, business, literature, education, journalism, and other major social. Though it does not truly cover japan moving through the new millennium its merits in detailing japanese history through the meiji restoration, the showa emperor, the great asian war, and post war restoration cannot go unnoticed.
Japan historical fiction, historical fiction, books. Gordon picks up exactly where sansoms leaves offat the. All formats available for pc, mac, ebook readers and other mobile devices. This book, while lacking in primary source references in some spots, is the most expansive modern history of a country that ive ever read. We read a number of books as part of the course requirements, both modern fiction and nearlyancient fiction, and i dug it a lot. The best japanese history books that will feed your brain. Cambridge histories cambridge histories is the essential reference collection spanning 350 volumes in 10 subject areas. Top 10 books about japan taking in folklore, history and the worlds first novel, here is some of the best reading about an endlessly inventive country. By japanese government bank of japan, public domain, link. The decline and fall of the japanese empire, 19361945 modern library war john toland. The new final chapter is just as wellwritten and engaging as the rest of the book. From the sixteenth century on, the countrys history was shaped by a tension between its peoples thirst to understand foreign institutions and customs and.
In japan, natsume is often considered as the greatest writer in modern japanese history. Book cover of andrew gordon a modern history of japan. A history of modern japan dates back to 1960, but taken in the context of a 1,500 yearold civilization and culture fifty years is a negligible interlude. By connecting people and organizations, we aim to achieve a society in which all people support one another. The photographs are incredible and the books are top quality.
Napoleon and the conquest of the world by louis geoffroy, napoleon s first french empire emerging. The controversies primarily concern the japanese nationalist efforts to whitewash the actions of the empire of japan during world war ii another serious issue is the constitutionality of the. There are so many books on japanese history and society, but a geek in japan is the goto bible of everything otaku nerd culture in the geek paradise that is modern day japan. That covers a lot of ground during that time japan went from a multicultural tribal society yayoijomon to being gove. A vivid, allencompassing account of a country picking itself up off its knees in the wake of. To access one of the following chapters, simply leftclick on it with your mouse. Japan womens university professor of ancient history and modern chinese history researchers. One of the classic works of modern japanese history. History and trends of modern japanese literature by kikuchi, kan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. What are some good books on japanese culture and history. Just hook up your japanese browser plugin like rikaikun, find a short story site like tom rays here and explore the endless bounty of the internet with your little kanji helper. In the japanese system of dating, this period encompasses the meiji period 18681912, the taisho period 191226, the showa period 192689, and the heisei period began 1989. I had another friend who loved fiction in translation, so we started delving into japanese authors and literature together soonafter, including haruki murakami.
A modern history of japan remains the best text for an introductory course on modern japanese history. A modern history of japan from tokugawa times to the present, andrew gordon. Well, japanese history is roughly 2,000 years long. Concentrating on the period following admiral perrys visit in the 1850s, this encyclopedia examines the historical events, leaders, and societal pressures in the. Gordon picks up exactly where sansoms leaves offat the end of the tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the meiji era. However if finding the latest up and coming artists the ones who are pushing envelopes, boundaries and techniques is your thing these two books are unmatched. This period saw growing urbanization, the spread of popular education and the rise of the merchant class. If the history of the language were to be split in two, the division would fall somewhere between the 12th and 16th centuries, when the language shed most of its old japanese characteristics and acquired those of the modern language. Large selection and many more categories to choose from.
The 35 best japan history books recommended by ben lorica, such as 1964. Modern japanese history can be divided into four periods. A geek in japan is a great introduction to japanese culture including a brief history of the country that explains that the japanese are so different because they were isolated from the rest of the world for centuries. Primary sources are available here primarily for use in highschool and universitycollege courses. Japanese history textbook controversies involve controversial content in one of the governmentapproved history textbooks used in the secondary education junior high schools and high schools of japan. In the tradition of jonathan spences the search for modern china, an authoritative, comprehensive, uptodate modern history of japan. This book is called a modern history of japan in order to shift the balance between japaneseness and modernity. Paul masons top 10 books about china books the guardian. Concentrating on the period following admiral perrys visit in the 1850s, this encyclopedia examines the historical events, leaders, and societal pressures in the countrys past that affected japans entry into the modern age. Books to help you understand japan the ongoing nuclear crisis is one of many major disasters japan has experienced over the past century. The nippon foundation is a social innovation hub that works to achieve a better society through areas like support for children, persons with disabilities and support for disaster recovery. Japans modern period is, for the purposes of this article, defined as beginning with the meiji restoration in 1868 and continuing through to the present. Paul masons top 10 books about china from 17thcentury pornography to meticulous social history, newsnights economics editor writes about the.
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