Japan: The Story of a Nation

"In this renowned study of Japanese history - updated and expanded six times since it was first published in 1946 as Japan: Past and Present - the author traces the evolution of Japanese civilization. He brings his personal insight to bear on topics spanning the nature and cultural effects of the Japanese language, the mysteries of the Shinto religion and of Zen, the meaning and influence of the samurai warrior caste, the paradox of an emperor who seldom ruled, the roots and development of the military dictatorship that brought Japan into World War II, the history and effects of the postwar American occupation, and the extraordinary recovery and flowering of the Japanese economy. Concluding with analyses of the challenges faced by Japan as it sought a new role in the world in the face of international controversies over trade and defense, and of its future role in world affairs, Japan: The Story of a Nation remains the most concise interpretive history of Japan."