A Concise History of Japan by Brett L Walker

“This is the best short survey of Japanese history available today: timely in its focus on environmental issues but timeless in its sound scholarship, rich in detail but thoroughly readable and eloquent in its interpretation of Japan’s complex past.”
William M. Tsutsui, Hendrix College, Washington

“In crisp, clear prose, Brett Walker’s A Concise History of Japan provides a sweeping view of Japan’s past distinctively framed by world history and, most crucially, by environmental challenges.”
Julia Adeney Thomas, University of Notre Dame, Indiana

“A lucid exploration of the way that the peoples of the Japanese archipelago have shaped and been shaped by their environment, from the extinction of big game to the grave disaster and diseases that accompanied industrialization every step of the way.”
Morgan Giles, The Times Literary Supplement

“Walker’s new history of Japan reflects a deep appreciation of the issues of concern to today’s readers. This is a history of Japan unlike anything published so far in the attention given to the impact of disease, famine, deforestation, climate change, environmental pollution, and natural disasters on the story of the Japanese and their relationship with their country. In a clear, readable style, the author expertly narrates the course of Japanese history, reflecting the most recent scholarship available. Along the way, he discusses topics not included in previous histories of Japan, such as the introduction and impact of both disease and medical knowledge in the premodern era, the rise of the Japanese fishing ‘pelagic empire’ in the twentieth century, and the global impact of Japan’s ‘soft culture’ in recent decades … Summing up: essential.”
M. D. Ericson, Choice

Blurb:

To this day, Japan’s modern ascendancy challenges many assumptions about world history, particularly theories regarding the rise of the west and why the modern world looks the way it does. In this engaging new history, Brett L. Walker tackles key themes regarding Japan’s relationships with its minorities, state and economic development, and the uses of science and medicine.

The book begins by tracing the country’s early history through archaeological remains, before proceeding to explore life in the imperial court, the rise of the samurai, civil conflict, encounters with Europe, and the advent of modernity and empire.

Integrating the pageantry of a unique nation’s history with today’s environmental concerns, Walker’s vibrant and accessible new narrative then follows Japan’s ascension from the ashes of World War II into the thriving nation of today. It is a history for our times, posing important questions regarding how we should situate a nation’s history in an age of environmental and climatological uncertainties.