A History of Japan

This book covers four hundred years of history, from the Tokugawa shogunate's appointment by the emperor to rule at Fushimi Castle to Japan's New Year celebrations in 2000. It is divided into five parts: “Japan in the Traditional Era,” “Japan in the Age of Revolution,” “Japan in the New Century,” “Japan at War,” and “Contemporary Japan.” From political upheavals to the rise of the merchant class, from proletarian labor movements to changing ideas about gender and evolving family and marriage customs, from colonialism and war to occupation and democratization, the book combines accounts of major events with small stories. Drawing on detailed historical sources, data, and charts, and written with an objective and impartial approach to history, it offers a panoramic, vivid portrayal of Japan through a multidimensional, ensemble-style narrative, showing the setbacks and advances, failures and resurgence of Japanese society as it underwent modernization.