A Brief History of Japan

Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun

By: Jonathan Clements

Narrated by: Julian Elfer

This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion.

First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a harbinger of post-industrial decline.

With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present, and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests.

©2017 Jonathan Clements (P)2019 Tantor

Excellent condensed piece

Understanding the Japanese culture from a westerner's perspective requires starting from scratch and delving through a large amount of information. This book manages to deliver the essential through an alert narrative and subtle changes of pace allowing for easy ingestion of even dry data. I've been listening on Tokyo subways and Kyoto walks making for a complete immersive experience.

Engaging, informative, humorous overview

This provided an excellent overview of Japanese history with a narrator striking the perfect tone to match. It strikes an even balance between detail and coverage of events. Each chapter's content leads well into the next, sketching out the general trends of the different periods of Japanese history without getting too bogged down in the details of any one period.

You will of course need to look to other books to go further in-depth on specific periods, but after this you will be able to jump in anywhere in the history of Japan without being lost.

Learned a lot

Good book. Given it was a brief version it glossed over many historical events. Suggest complementing with other reads. Overall I enjoyed it even though it portrayed historical figures and events under what felt like a rather cynical light.

Just the right balance of detail and connected overview

Just the right balance of detail and connected overview. Mentions several cultural concepts we hear about, showing how they link into Japanese history and culture, without getting bogged down at all.

An excellent introduction to the subject.

Well written, and well read, this book serves as an excellent introduction to the subject of Japanese history and culture. I recommend it if you are in a hurry to get some knowledge under your belt, and then begin to dig deeper.