The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread to begin discussing all things Japanese. This includes the country of Japan, its rulers, government, etc. and of course its history.

Please feel free to add books: either non fiction or historical fiction that deal with these topical areas. In the future if this thread expands and there is a need for its own folder I will develop a folder for this country and its history.

If you would like to add any novels that are set in Japan, you may but only if you clearly point out that these are works of fiction. This group is primarily a non fiction and historical fiction group.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet (historical fiction)

David Mitchell

Publisher's Synopsis:

Japan, 1799; Jacob de Zoet arrives on Dejima in Nagasaki harbour. For over 150 years this artificial island, manned by the Dutch East India Company, has been the only point of contact between Japan and Europe. The foreign traders are forbidden to leave the island whilst the Japanese may not travel beyond their native land. Yet through the porthole of Dejima the new learning of the Enlightenment seeps into the Shogun’s cloistered realm while tales of a mysterious land seep out.

As a junior clerk, de Zoet’s task is to uncover evidence of the previous Chief Resident’s malpractice. Ostracised by his compatriots, he befriends a local interpreter and becomes drawn to one of the few women on the island, a midwife with a scarred face who is granted permission to study under the Company physician. But in the battles for supremacy on Dejima and the mainland, and between the Dutch and British on the high seas, trust is betrayed and loyalties are tested to breaking point.

At once a love story, an adventure, a study of power and corruption, and a glimpse into a hidden world, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet brings to vivid life the ordinary - and extraordinary - people caught up in a tectonic shift between East and West. It is an historical novel unlike any other from one of the brightest talents writing in the English language.

Awards:

Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book in South Asia and Europe (2011), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Favorite Book, Fiction (2010)

That looks like a very interesting book Bentley. One of my favourite books covering Japanese history has been; "Samurai William: The Adenturer who Unlocked Japan" by Giles Milton.

by Giles Milton
Description:
The adventures of the Englishman who opened the East. This book illuminates a Jacobean world whose horizons were rapidly expanding and a Japan that was still unknown to the rest of the world. In the winter of 1611, a letter was received by the merchants of the East India Company. The fact that it came from Japan, a forbidden and unknown land, was a cause of wonder, but even more remarkable was that the writer was an Englishman by the name of William Adams. Adams had sailed to the East in 1598, but most of his company had died by the time their ship was washed up unexpectedly in Japan. He fell in love with the barbaric splendour of the country and decided to settle. He forged a close friendship with the ruthless Shogun leyasu, took a Japanese wife and sired a new, mixed-blood family. However, his homesick letter to London inspired the merchants to plan an expedition to the Far East, wishing to trade with the Japanese through Adams' good offices.

Reviews:
“Milton gives the exciting story both immediacy and flair ... This is history writing at its finest.” - Booklist

“Fascinating.” - Good Book Guide

“The best book this year ... Told with Stevensonian gusto ... A revelation.” - Jane Gardam, (Spectator)

“Milton makes the story a compelling one. Lovingly researched and strikingly written.” - Time Out

“Fascinating reading . . . a very thorough and absorbing account of this period, witty and accessible.’ - Irish Times

“Milton has brought the era to life, conveying nuances of character and the values of the time.” - The Sunday Times

“A magnificent piece of popular history.” - Independent on Sunday

“The thoroughness and intelligence of his research underpins the lively confidence with which he deploys it.” - The Times Literary Supplement

“Fascinating detail . . . Milton is good at portraying eccentric characters and the Englishmen's shock at the periodic brutality of the Japanese.” - The Times Literary Supplement

Two other books covering some interesting aspects of Japanese history that I have but have not read yet are:

by Mark Ravina
Description:
The dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori′s life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well – his life is the inspiration for a major Hollywood film, The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. In this vibrant new biography, Mark Ravina, professor of history and Director of East Asian Studies at Emory University, explores the facts behind Hollywood storytelling and Japanese legends, and explains the passion and poignancy of Saigo′s life. Known both for his scholarly research and his appearances on The History Channel, Ravina recreates the world in which Saigo lived and died, the last days of the samurai.

The Last Samurai traces Saigo′s life from his early days as a tax clerk in far southwestern Japan, through his rise to national prominence as a fierce imperial loyalist. Saigo was twice exiled for his political activities –– sent to Japan′s remote southwestern islands where he fully expected to die. But exile only increased his reputation for loyalty, and in 1864 he was brought back to the capital to help his lord fight for the restoration of the emperor. In 1868, Saigo commanded his lord′s forces in the battles which toppled the shogunate and he became and leader in the emperor Meiji′s new government. But Saigo found only anguish in national leadership. He understood the need for a modern conscript army but longed for the days of the traditional warrior.

Saigo hoped to die in service to the emperor. In 1873, he sought appointment as envoy to Korea, where he planned to demand that the Korean king show deference to the Japanese emperor, drawing his sword, if necessary, top defend imperial honor. Denied this chance to show his courage and loyalty, he retreated to his homeland and spent his last years as a schoolteacher, training samurai boys in frugality, honesty, and courage. In 1876, when the government stripped samurai of their swords, Saigo′s followers rose in rebellion and Saigo became their reluctant leader. His insurrection became the bloodiest war Japan had seen in centuries, killing over 12,000 men on both sides and nearly bankrupting the new imperial government. The imperial government denounced Saigo as a rebel and a traitor, but their propaganda could not overcome his fame and in 1889, twelve years after his death, the government relented, pardoned Saigo of all crimes, and posthumously restored him to imperial court rank.

In THE LAST SAMURAI, Saigo is as compelling a character as Robert E. Lee was to Americans–a great and noble warrior who followed the dictates of honor and loyalty, even though it meant civil war in a country to which he′d devoted his life. Saigo′s life is a fascinating look into Japanese feudal society and a history of a country as it struggled between its long traditions and the dictates of a modern future.

Reviews:
“Ravina’s portrait of Saigo is well drawn and sympathetic…” - Asian Affairs

"...Ravina′s writing grips with the intensity of a great adventure story and vividly portrays the upheavals caused to a nation..." - Yorkshire Evening Post

"...a pacy narrative that reads like a thriller, complemented by maps and photographs..." - The Good Book Guide

"Ravina has opened up a dimension of Saigo’s life that was closed to English readers before now." - Charles L. Yates, (The Historian)

by Peter Pagnamenta
Description:
In 1904, when thirty-four-year-old British Army captain Arthur Hart-Synnot was sent to Japan to learn the language of his country's new ally, romance was the furthest thing from his mind. At least five generations of the Hart family had served in the British Army-his father, grandfather, and uncle had risen to the rank of general, and the ambitious young officer expected to keep up the tradition. Arriving in Tokyo on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War,

Arthur met Masa Suzuki at the Officers' Club and tested out his first few words of Japanese on her. Masa had grown up in the working-class section of Tokyo, amid small-shop keepers and craftsmen. The sixth in a family of seven, she had left school at age fourteen to work in a shop. She was a dutiful Japanese daughter-when she helped her mother serve meals, she would kneel at a respectful distance while her father and brothers ate. Arthur and Masa fell in love quickly and powerfully. Throwing convention to the wind, they lived together in Tokyo until orders came for Arthur to return to England. For the next decade and a half, the two unlikely soul mates attempted to make a life together, testing the limits of racial and cultural tolerance in their countries and in themselves. Separated for years at a time, they stayed in touch through long, deeply affectionate letters they wrote to each other in Japanese. The great love affair sustained Arthur through some of the most horrific battles of the First World War, and even when the relationship came to an end, in a way that neither could have foreseen, they continued their correspondence.

They wrote to each other through the troubled interwar period, as Arthur's family estate was caught up in a civil war in Ireland, as the great earthquake of 1923 ravaged Tokyo, as the militarists seized control of Japan and took the country into a brutal invasion of China, and finally, in a bitter twist of fate, as the once-allied Britain and Japan faced off against each other in the Second World War. Her letters to him were lost, but she saved every one of his, more than eight hundred in total. The authors use this treasure trove of letters to describe a story of great love and great loss and of destinies etched amid the conflicts of the first half of the twentieth century.

Review:
The word "enduring" isn't completely accurate in describing the romance between Capt. Arthur Hart-Synnot and the young Japanese woman who became his mistress, Masa Suzuki, because he eventually abandoned her to marry an Englishwoman. Yet their tender, binational understanding is captured by British journalists Pagnamenta and Williams in recently unearthed letters dating from 1904, when the British captain first met Suzuki in Tokyo, until the year before his death, in 1942. Hart-Synnot, who hailed from a family of soldiers seated at Ballymoyer, in Ireland, was recruited to study Japanese to shore up relations between Britain and Japan, then embroiled in war with imperial Russia. At 34, unmarried, a good linguist and eager to travel, Hart-Synnot found Japan charmingly cultured, while the 25-year-old working-class divorcée Suzuki had little to look forward to beside domestic drudgery. Their affair led to language lessons, and eventually she became his housekeeper. He was posted throughout the Far East, and always returned to Suzuki until he was sent to France by WWI. Injured in battle, his legs amputated, he claimed that he could not manage to return to Japan, and instead married his nurse, to the bitterness of Suzuki. Pagnamenta and Williams offer a deeply sympathetic portrayal of this doomed long-distance romance.

Yes it does though it is historical fiction and more of a novel - but well done.

I think your adds look intriguing too.

One more recent release covering an interesting aspect of Japanese history; "Samurai: The Last Warrior" by John Man.

by John Man
Description:
The name ‘Samurai’ is synonymous with the ultimate warrior. With their elaborate armour, fierce swordsmanship and code of honour, the samurai have become iconic figures whose influence can still be felt today . From Kurosawa’s epic Seven Samurai to the figure of Darth Vader in Star Wars, to Manga comics and video games, the figure of the fighting samurai still inspires us today. In John Man’s new book we discover the truth behind the legend.

From his birth in the shadow of the great volcano Sakurajima, to his glorious death by ritual suicide and disembowelment, Saigo Takamori was the ultimate Samurai leader. His fall brought about the end of hundreds of years of Samurai tradition and in many ways marks the birth of modern Japan. Saigo was a man trapped by paradox: a faithful servant to the emperor, and yet a leader of rebel troops; a mighty Samurai warrior, and also a master of Chinese poetry. His life, and ultimately his death, offer a window into the hundreds of years of culture and tradition that defined the samurai.

I can't resist mentioning this Pacific War classic, the first-hand account of the Japanese pilot & ace; Saburo Sakai: "Samurai!".

by Saburo Sakai
Description:
This text documents the chivalry and valour of the combat aviator, Saburo Sakai, who fought American fighter pilots and, with 64 kills, would survive World War II as Japan's greatest living ace. This book traces his experiences from fighter-pilot school to the early Japanese victories; from his 600 mile fight for life from Guadalcanal to his base in Rabaul, to the story of the now handicapped veteran's return to the air during the final months of World War II. This book has been written by Martin Caidin from Saburo Sakai's own memoirs and journalist Fred Saito's interviews with the fighter pilot.

Thank you Aussie Rick

This book has just hit the shelves here in Australia:


by Craig Collie

This book traces the rise of Japan as a modern nation as influenced by General MacArthur's leadership during the Occupation. Whether you approved of MacArthur or not, it makes a fascinating read.

Robert Harvey(no photo)

Douglas MacArthur (no photo)

Good add Jill.

Thank you.

I just finished reading this book. Ian Buruma is one of my favourite writers. He has a very rare talent of making complicated things clear without simplifying them too much. And i also love the fact that he can voice an opinion which is not black or white without becoming unclear about things or avoiding the real issues.
None of Buruma's views on the world in this book though, although especially in the second part of the book the tone of writing becomes more typically Buruma, with the occasional dry comment.
But mostly this is just a general history of Japan from the 1850s to 1960. A very thin book by the way: about 200 pages. Just enough to get you interested to read more about this fascinating country. Especially if -like me-you know little to nothing about the country.
In high school we learned a lot about the second world war in Europe(i am from Belgium) but very little about what happened in that period in Asia.

Ian Buruma

I think that this book should be required reading, especially in this turbulent nuclear age....an age which started on August 6, 1945 with the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This book will chill your soul.

by John Hersey

I also put this post on the China thread since it is applicable to both Japan and China.

After finally achieving what had eluded even his grandfather Genghis Khan - the conquest of China-and inheriting the world's largest navy, Kublai Khan set his sights on Japan. Yet within a few years his armada was wiped out and in the centuries since, its destruction by the kamikaze ( a term that became familiar during WWII) became legend. The author, an archaeologist and historian went diving with a Japanese team to find the remains of the invasion fleet and tells the story moving between the present and the past to learn what actually sank the Mongol navy. A fascinating adventure tale.


by James P. Delgado

The role of the Geisha is usually misunderstood by the Western world. This book sets the record straight.

Geisha: A Unique World of Tradition, Elegance, and Art

by John Gallagher

Synopsis
The book delves into the lives and history of the Geishas, with detailed coverage of their rigorous training, the sumptuous costumes, and the fantastically intricate world of tradition in which they live and work.

Here is an excellent account of World War II and the Sino-Japanese War from the Japanese perspective: by
John Willard Toland

Another excellent book to add for understanding Japan after WWII would be
by John W. Dower .

He provides multiple perspectives, both American and Japanese, on post war reconstruction and occupation of Japan.

Angela

Great book, Angela. Thanks for sharing. This is in my library and it looks first-rate.

Great try on the citation format. You almost got it. If you have a book cover, you don't need the title link, then follow up with author photo and link:

John W. Dower

A general survey/overview.

Japan: Its History and Culture
by W. Scott Morton
Synopsis
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. The revised edition of the popular work, Japan: Its History and Culture, Fourth Edition, documents and explains these changes. Seamlessly blending current events, politics, and cultural elements, the authors provide a riveting account of a nation often misunderstood by the West.

sounds interesting

Japan at War: An Oral History
by Haruko Taya Cook

Synopsis
A timely fifteenth Anniversary reissue of a "deeply moving book" (Studs Terkel) that portrays the Japanese experience during World War II in all its complexity.
Following the release of Clint Eastwood's epic film "Letters from Iwo Jima," which was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, there has been a renewed fascination and interest in the Japanese perspective on World War II. This pathbreaking work of oral history is the first book ever to capture--in either Japanese or English--the experience of ordinary Japanese people during the war.
In a sweeping panorama, Haruko Taya Cook and Theodore F. Cook take us from the Japanese attacks on China in the 1930s to the Japanese home front during the inhuman raids on Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, offering the first glimpses of how the twentieth century's most deadly conflict affected the lives of the Japanese population. The book "seeks out the true feelings of the wartime generation [and] illuminates the contradictions between the official views of the war and living testimony" (Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan).
"Japan at War" is a book to which Americans and Japanese will continue to turn for decades to come. With more than 30,000 copies sold to date, this new paperback edition features an updated cover designed to appeal to a new generation of readers.

The Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present
by Andrew Gordon

Synopsis
In The Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present, Andrew Gordon paints a richly nuanced and strikingly original portrait of the last two centuries of Japanese history. He takes students from the days of the shogunate--the feudal overlordship of the Tokugawa family--through the modernizing revolution launched by midlevel samurai in the late nineteenth century; the adoption of Western hairstyles, clothing, and military organization; and the nation's first experiments with mass democracy after World War I. Gordon offers the finest synthesis to date of Japan's passage through militarism, World War II, the American occupation, and the subsequent economic rollercoaster. But the true ingenuity and value of Gordon's approach lies in his close attention to the non-elite layers of society. Here students will see the influence of outside ideas, products, and culture on home life, labor unions, political parties, gender relations, and popular entertainment. The book examines Japan's struggles to define the meaning of its modernization, from villages and urban neighborhoods, to factory floors and middle managers' offices, to the imperial court. Most importantly, it illuminates the interconnectedness of Japanese developments with world history, demonstrating how Japan's historical passage represents a variation of a process experienced by many nations and showing how the Japanese narrative forms one part of the interwoven fabric of modern history.

With a sustained focus on setting modern Japan in a comparative and global context, The Modern History of Japan is ideal for undergraduate courses in modern Japanese history, Japanese politics, Japanese society, or Japanese culture.

A look at the inner life/beliefs of the Samurai which heretofore has been hidden from the public.

Hagakure: The Book of the Samuarai

by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Synopsis
Hagakure ("In the Shadow of Leaves") is a manual for the samurai classes consisting of a series of short anecdotes and reflections that give both insight and instruction-in the philosophy and code of behavior that foster the true spirit of Bushido-the Way of the Warrior. It is not a book of philosophy as most would understand the word: it is a collection of thoughts and sayings recorded over a period of seven years, and as such covers a wide variety of subjects, often in no particular sequence.
The work represents an attitude far removed from our modern pragmatism and materialism, and possesses an intuitive rather than rational appeal in its assertion that Bushido is a Way of Dying, and that only a samurai retainer prepared and willing to die at any moment can be totally true to his lord. While Hagakure was for many years a secret text known only to the warrior vassals of the Hizen fief to which the author belonged, it later came to be recognized as a classic exposition of samurai thought and came to influence many subsequent generations.

Thanks all for the adds.

Another book (see post #16) which describes the role of the geisha. This book reveals the life and art of the "perfect woman".


Geisha: The Life, the Voices, the Art

by Jodi Cobb

Synopsis

Here, brought vividly to life, is an icon of Japanese culture and custom—the geisha in her role as human work of art and perfect woman.

A hundred years ago geisha numbered eighty thousand; today there are a thousand at most. Happily, Jodi Cobb is able to show us—before they vanish—both the ceremonial world of the geisha in Tokyo and Kyoto and their private world as few outsiders have ever seen it.

Many of the older women we meet here were forced into this world by hardship; the young women were drawn to it by their dream of a
romantic life or their love of traditional arts. We see geisha in their daytime routines: fine-tuning their breathtakingly lavish wardrobes; perfecting the art of makeup; training maikos (apprentices); and preparing for annual dance performances.

But as we watch the geisha at night, as they entertain (for huge sums) at private parties, their art takes a different form. Their purpose is to provide a dream—of luxury, romance and exclusivity. As the men sit at dinner, geisha position themselves at their elbows to serve them sake and delicacies and practice a brilliantly honed art of conversation. As the alcohol flows and the guests relax, geisha play party tricks and sing songs. Geisha have for centuries studied the male ego. They tend it like a garden—and we watch men bloom.

This long-hidden world is revealed here both in superlative photographs and in a fascinating text that includes the voices of the geisha themselves. These women have created a life of beauty, making themselves an embodiment of Japanese culture, tradition and refinement—a life that is captured exquisitely in this remarkable book

Hello all,

I'm new to this group, but so far, it looks like a wonderful resource.

I'm looking for some good books (fiction/non-fiction) based in Japan in the late 18th to mid 19th centuries. Especially looking for material showing the life of the commoner.

Thanks for your assistance!
Phillip

Phillip could you introduce yourself first on the Welcome thread which is one of our rules and guidelines. Here is the link:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

We are happy to help you but we like to know who we are helping (smile). The intro does not have to be long or personal - in fact we hope it isn't. Just a way to take a little time and say hello and let us know that you are here. We allow no self promotion so if you are an author - please do not mention that or your books or writing.

Bentley

Bentley wrote: "Phillip could you introduce yourself first on the Welcome thread which is one of our rules and guidelines. Here is the link:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
..."
Certainly! My apologies for not following through on the guidelines. :-/

No problem - I just want folks to get to know you and have you become a part of our discussions. In this day and age, some folks are reluctant to respond to someone that has not introduced themselves on the welcome thread.

Christopher wrote: "Phillip, quite a good question! Here is one book I have found that begins with the Meiji Restoration in the mid 19th century:

[bookcover:Peasants, Rebels, and Outcastes: The Underside of Modern Ja..."

Wow! Great find, Christopher. This seems like a good start on what I'm looking for. Thanks so much for tracking that one down. Barely half a day as a member here and it's already paying off. :)

Phillip

I would like to recommend a book of historical fiction about Japan. The book is about Thomas Blake Glover, (1838-1911)and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland. When he was only 21 he was employed by Jardine Matheson in the tea trade and moved to Nagasaki. If one wants a detailed information of his accomplishments in Japan one can read Wikepedia, this book or, as I did, both. If one reads Wikepedia this man and his life does not come alive. The book accomplishes this. Some say the opera Madame Butterfly is based on his Japanese wife, but this is disputed.

The Pure Land

by Alan Spence (no photo)

Synopsis:

The year is 1858. Thomas Glover is a restless young man with dreams of escaping Aberdeen. Abandoning his childhood sweetheart, he takes a posting as a trader in Japan. Within ten years he amasses a great fortune, learns the ways of the samurai and helps overthrow the Shogun - a rapid rise from lowly shipping clerk to millionaire industrialist. Yet behind Glover's astonishing success lies a man cut to the heart. His love affair with a courtesan - a woman who, unknown to him, would bear him the son for which he had always longed - would form a tragedy so dramatic as to be immortalized in the story of Madame Butterfly. The Pure Land relives in fiction the arc of Glover's true-life rise and fall, and forges a 100-year saga that culminates in the annihilation of Nagasaki in 1945.

Nice add Chrissie and the format is very good.

Thank you.

Sounds intriguing! Thank you Chrissie.

Phillip, it is fun telling other people abut books you have thoroughly enjoyed.

The biography of a remarkable man whose role in WWII is often misunderstood. General MacArthur's decision to retain him as Emperor after the war led to a vibrant and modern Japan.


Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan

by Herbert P. Bix

Synopsis

Winner of the Pulitzer PrizeIn this groundbreaking biography of the Japanese emperor Hirohito, Herbert P. Bix offers the first complete, unvarnished look at the enigmatic leader whose sixty-three-year reign ushered Japan into the modern world. Never before has the full life of this controversial figure been revealed with such clarity and vividness. Bix shows what it was like to be trained from birth for a lone position at the apex of the nation's political hierarchy and as a revered symbol of divine status. Influenced by an unusual combination of the Japanese imperial tradition and a modern scientific worldview, the young emperor gradually evolves into his preeminent role, aligning himself with the growing ultranationalist movement, perpetuating a cult of religious emperor worship, resisting attempts to curb his power, and all the while burnishing his image as a reluctant, passive monarch. Here we see Hirohito as he truly was: a man of strong will and real authority.

Supported by a vast array of previously untapped primary documents, Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan is perhaps most illuminating in lifting the veil on the mythology surrounding the emperor's impact on the world stage. Focusing closely on Hirohito's interactions with his advisers and successive Japanese governments, Bix sheds new light on the causes of the China War in 1937 and the start of the Asia-Pacific War in 1941. And while conventional wisdom has had it that the nation's increasing foreign aggression was driven and maintained not by the emperor but by an elite group of Japanese militarists, the reality, as witnessed here, is quite different. Bix documents in detail the strong, decisive role Hirohito played in wartime operations, from the takeover of Manchuria in 1931 through the attack on Pearl Harbor and ultimately the fateful decision in 1945 to accede to an unconditional surrender. In fact, the emperor stubbornly prolonged the war effort and then used the horrifying bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, together with the Soviet entrance into the war, as his exit strategy from a no-win situation. From the moment of capitulation, we see how American and Japanese leaders moved to justify the retention of Hirohito as emperor by whitewashing his wartime role and reshaping the historical consciousness of the Japanese people. The key to this strategy was Hirohito's alliance with General MacArthur, who helped him maintain his stature and shed his militaristic image, while MacArthur used the emperor as a figurehead to assist him in converting Japan into a peaceful nation. Their partnership ensured that the emperor's image would loom large over the postwar years and later decades, as Japan began to make its way in the modern age and struggled -- as it still does -- to come to terms with its past.

Until the very end of a career that embodied the conflicting aims of Japan's development as a nation, Hirohito remained preoccupied with politics and with his place in history. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan provides the definitive account of his rich life and legacy. Meticulously researched and utterly engaging, this book is proof that the history of twentieth-century Japan cannot be understood apart from the life of its most remarkable and enduring leader.(

I'm currently reading the following to get a good idea of Japanese life during the Tokugawa period. The goal of the book is to show that this 'dark period' of Japanese economics wasn't really so dark after all and that comparing items like GDP with Western civilizations is an inappropriate way to measure it. It's a useful reference book that details social structure, clothing, housing and food.

Everyday Things in Premodern Japan: The Hidden Legacy of Material Culture by Susan B Hanley

A fascinating look at the Japanese myth about the creation of the islands of Japan.

Realm of the Rising Sun: Japanese Myth

by Tony Allan (no photo)

Synopsis

According to Japanese mythology, the cosmos took form spontaneously from chaos. Lighter elements formed the abode of the gods, while heavier ones became the shapeless Earth. Many divinities emerged in these two realms, but the seventh celestial couple consisted of Izanagi and Izanami, a god and goddess whose destiny was to establish the sea-kissed islands of Japan in the unruly waters far below.

This pair created innumerable further deities, or kami, responsible for the world’s natural phenomena, though the greatest of all their offspring was the sun goddess Amaterasu. She was brought forth by Izanagi and given dominion over the sky. The eight gods and goddesses she produced with her brother Susano are said to be the ancestors of Japan’s emperors.

Many other tales can be found in Realm of the Rising Sun: Japanese Myth, one volume in an exciting series called Myth and Mankind, a culture-by-culture examination of world myth and its historical roots. Whether exploring the myths of Persia, early America, China or Greece, each book brings an ancient culture to life as never before.

As a result, this is a world history like no other. Every book is filled with the strange stories, mystic rites, angry gods, vision quests and magic symbols at the heart of all cultures – but left out of most history books. Such myths are central to understanding how, since the dawn of time, people around the world have sought to explain birth, death, creation, love and other mysteries of life. These myths lie at the intersection of imagination and history, wisdom and experience, dreams and reality.

Jill wrote: "A fascinating look at the Japanese myth about the creation of the islands of Japan.

Realm of the Rising Sun: Japanese Myth

by Tony Allan (..."

That sounds fascinating Jill. Thanks for sharing!

You are certainly welcome. I find Japan fascinating.

Clash of Empires in South China: The Allied Nations' Proxy War With Japan, 1935-1941

by Franco David Macri (no photo)

Synopsis:

Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 saw most major campaigns north of the Yangtze River, where Chinese industry was concentrated. The southern theater proved a more difficult challenge for Japan because of its enormous size, diverse terrain, and poor infrastructure, but Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek made a formidable stand that produced a veritable quagmire for a superior opponent—a stalemate much desired by the Allied nations.

In the first book to cover this southern theater in detail, David Macri closely examines strategic decisions, campaigns, and operations and shows how they affected Allied grand strategy. Drawing on documents of U.S. and British officials, he reveals for the first time how the Sino-Japanese War served as a “proxy war” for the Allies: by keeping Japan’s military resources focused on southern China, they hoped to keep the enemy bogged down in a war of attrition that would prevent them from breaching British and Soviet territory.

While the most immediate concern was preserving Siberia and its vast resources from invasion, Macri identifies Hong Kong as the keystone in that proxy war—vital in sustaining Chinese resistance against Japan as it provided the logistical interface between the outside world and battles in Hunan and Kwangtung provinces; a situation that emerged because of its vital rail connection to the city of Changsha. He describes the development of Anglo-Japanese low-intensity conflict at Hong Kong; he then explains the geopolitical significance of Hong Kong and southern China for the period following the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

Opening a new window on this rarely studied theater, Macri underscores China’s symbolic importance for the Allies, depicting them as unequal partners who fought the Japanese for entirely different reasons—China for restoration of its national sovereignty, the Allies to keep the Japanese preoccupied. And by aiding China’s wartime efforts, the Allies further hoped to undermine Japanese propaganda designed to expel Western powers from its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

As Macri shows, Hong Kong was not just a sleepy British Colonial outpost on the fringes of the empire but an essential logistical component of the war, and to fully understand broader events Hong Kong must be viewed together with southern China as a single military zone. His account of that forgotten fight is a pioneering work that provides new insight into the origins of the Pacific War.

Upcoming fall release:

Precarious Japan

by Anne Allison (no photo)

Synopiss:

In an era of irregular labor, nagging recession, nuclear contamination, and a shrinking population, Japan is facing precarious times. How the Japanese experience insecurity in their daily and social lives is the subject of Precarious Japan. Moving between the structural conditions of socioeconomic life and the ways people are making do, or not, Anne Allison chronicles the loss of home affecting many Japanese, not only in the literal sense but also in the figurative sense of not belonging. Until the collapse of Japan's economic bubble in 1991, lifelong employment and a secure income were within reach of most Japanese men, enabling them to maintain their families in a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Now, as fewer and fewer people are able to find full-time work, hope turns to hopelessness and security gives way to a pervasive unease. Yet some Japanese are getting by, partly by reconceiving notions of home, family, and togetherness.

I am reading and really like Dog Man. It is not only about the Akita dog breed but Japanese wartime feelings and culture. Being a memoir it is personal. Here is description:

Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain

by Martha Sherrill(no photo)

Synopsis:

How one man's consuming passion for dogs saved a legendary breed from extinction and led him to a difficult, more soulful way of life in the wilds of Japan's remote snow country

As Dog Man opens, Martha Sherrill brings us to a world that Americans know very little about-the snow country of Japan during World War II. In a mountain village, we meet Morie Sawataishi, a fierce individualist who has chosen to break the law by keeping an Akita dog hidden in a shed on his property.

During the war, the magnificent and intensely loyal Japanese hunting dogs are donated to help the war effort, eaten, or used to make fur vests for the military. By the time of the Japanese surrender in 1945, there are only sixteen Akitas left in the country. The survival of the breed becomes Morie's passion and life, almost a spiritual calling.

Devoted to the dogs, Morie is forever changed. His life becomes radically unconventional-almost preposterous-in ultra-ambitious, conformist Japan. For the dogs, Morie passes up promotions, bigger houses, and prestigious engineering jobs in Tokyo. Instead, he raises a family with his young wife, Kitako-a sheltered urban sophisticate-in Japan's remote and forbidding snow country.

Their village is isolated, but interesting characters are always dropping by-dog buddies, in-laws from Tokyo, and a barefoot hunter who lives in the wild. Due in part to Morie's perseverance and passion, the Akita breed strengthens and becomes wildly popular, sometimes selling for millions of yen. Yet Morie won't sell his spectacular dogs. He only likes to give them away.

Morie and Kitako remain in the snow country today, living in the traditional Japanese cottage they designed together more than thirty years ago-with tatami mats, an overhanging roof, a deep bathtub, and no central heat. At ninety-four years old, Morie still raises and trains the Akita dogs that have come to symbolize his life.

In beautiful prose that is a joy to read, Martha Sherrill opens up the world of the Dog Man and his wife, providing a profound look at what it is to be an individualist in a culture that reveres conformity-and what it means to live life in one's own way, while expertly revealing Japan and Japanese culture as we've never seen it before

Christopher, you are welcome. I do like it.

A Dragon's Head and a Serpent's Tail: Ming China and the First Great East Asian War, 1592-1598

by Kenneth M. Swope (no photo)

Synopsis:

The invasion of Korea by Japanese troops in May of 1592 was no ordinary military expedition: it was one of the decisive events in Asian history and the most tragic for the Korean peninsula until the mid-twentieth century. Japanese overlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi envisioned conquering Korea, Ming China, and eventually all of Asia; but Korea’s appeal to China’s Emperor Wanli for assistance triggered a six-year war involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers and encompassing the whole region. For Japan, the war was “a dragon’s head followed by a serpent’s tail”: an impressive beginning with no real ending.

Kenneth M. Swope has undertaken the first full-length scholarly study in English of this important conflict. Drawing on Korean, Japanese, and especially Chinese sources, he corrects the Japan-centered perspective of previous accounts and depicts Wanli not as the self-indulgent ruler of received interpretations but rather one actively engaged in military affairs—and concerned especially with rescuing China’s client state of Korea. He puts the Ming in a more vigorous light, detailing Chinese siege warfare, the development and deployment of innovative military technologies, and the naval battles that marked the climax of the war. He also explains the war’s repercussions outside the military sphere—particularly the dynamics of intraregional diplomacy within the shadow of the Chinese tributary system.

What Swope calls the First Great East Asian War marked both the emergence of Japan’s desire to extend its sphere of influence to the Chinese mainland and a military revival of China’s commitment to defending its interests in Northeast Asia. Swope’s account offers new insight not only into the history of warfare in Asia but also into a conflict that reverberates in international relations to this day.

The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-98

by Stephen Turnbull (no photo)

Synopsis:

The invasions of Korea launched by the dictator Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1592-1593 and 1597-1598) are unique in Japanese history for being the only time that the samurai assaulted a foreign country. Hideyoshi planned to invade and conquer China, ruled at the time by the Ming dynasty, and when the Korean court refused to allow his troops to cross their country, Korea became the first step in this ambitious plan of conquest. In 1592 a huge invasion force of 150,000 men landed at the ports of Busan and Tadaejin under the commanders Konishi Yukinaga and Kato Kiyomasa. These two Japanese divisions rapidly overran their Korean counterparts, taking the principal cities of Seoul and then Pyongyang and driving the remnants of the Korean Army into China. The Japanese division under Kato Kiyomasa even started to advance into Manchuria. However, the Korean strength was in their navy and the vital Korean naval victory of Hansando disrupted the flow of supplies to the invasion forces, forcing them to hold their positions around Pyongyang.

In 1593, the Chinese invaded capturing Pyongyang from the Japanese and driving them southwards. This phase of the war ended in a truce, with the Japanese forces withdrawing into enclaves around the southern port of Busan while the Ming armies largely withdrew to China.

In 1597, following the breakdown in negotiations, the Japanese invaded again with a force of 140,000 men. However, the Chinese and Koreans were now better prepared and the advance came to a halt south of Seoul, and then forced the Japanese southwards. In November 1598 Hideyoshi died, and with him the enthusiasm for the military adventure. The Japanese council of regents ordered the withdrawal of the remaining forces, and the naval battle of Noryang, which saw the Japanese fleet annihilated by the Korean admiral Yi-Sunshin, proved to be the last significant act of the conflict.

An insider's look at what he calls the "real" Japan.

Finding the Real Japan

by Daniel DiMarzio (no photo)

Synopsis:

FINDING THE REAL JAPAN- "Stories from the Land of the Rising Sun" takes a look at what Japanese Culture is really like, without the rose-colored glasses. It is written from first-hand accounts of traveling to and living in Japan spanning several years. The work also includes black and white prints of old and rare Japanese artwork as well as pictures of modern-day Japan. The first-hand accounts make this an interesting study on a culture that is often misunderstood by outsiders. Take a journey with the author while trying to understand this fascinating and ancient culture. The highs and lows of this story are both inspiring and at times horrifying. It is a direct, in your face, look at what modern-day Japan is really like.

Jill wrote: "An insider's look at what he calls the "real" Japan.

Finding the Real Japan

by Daniel DiMarzio (no photo)

Syn..."

Jill, that sure looks good....just wondering if the blurb is accurate. I am tempted to try it though. Thanks for the tip.

I'm like you....I am never sure if the blurb really tells the story but this one looks pretty interesting, even if the description may not be quite on target. :>)