Japan - Its History and Culture

Tiivis Japanin historia, pehmeäkantinen, 2005, 340 sivua.

Japan: Its History and Culture by W. Scott Morton offers a comprehensive,, chronological, and thematic overview of Japan from its prehistoric, earliest known civilization around 3000 BCE through the postwar, early 2000s era. The book is a popular academic text that blends political, social, and economic history with artistic and cultural developments. 

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This video offers an overview of the key themes in Japanese history and culture:

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Japan: The Complete History | Samurai, Shoguns, and the Rise of an Empire.(AI ...

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Key Aspects of the Book

• Historical Span: Covers ancient Japan, the development of the imperial court, feudalism, samurai militarism, the Tokugawa seclusion period, the modernization of the Meiji Restoration, and post-WWII developments.

• Cultural Integration: Focuses heavily on the arts, religious shifts (Shinto and Buddhism), and social structure, highlighting the Japanese ability to adopt and adapt foreign influences (like Chinese culture) into a distinct national form.

• Analysis of Values: Explores key cultural concepts like harmony (wa), honor, loyalty, and the evolution of Japanese society from traditional to modern.

Focus on Change: The later editions focus on Japan's shift from a star postwar industrial nation to a country managing economic trouble and the erosion of old traditions. 

Key Themes Covered

• Religion & Art: The role of Buddhism and Shintoism in daily life and art.

• Society & Politics: The evolution of the political system from early imperial to military shoguns and modern government.

Significant Figures: Highlights important personalities and historical events. 

This book is frequently cited as a valuable, albeit dense, text for understanding the foundations of Japanese society, though it primarily focuses on historical and classical culture rather than modern pop culture.

From the Publisher

W. Scott Morton was a missionary to China and a professor emeritus in Chinese and Japanese history and culture at Seton Hall University, in New Jersey.

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

About the Author

W. Scott Morton was a missionary to China and a professor emeritus in Chinese and Japanese history and culture at Seton Hall University, in New Jersey.