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This volume focuses on an often misunderstood nation with vast economic and cultural influence in the United States and around the world. It combines thoroughly up-to-date coverage of Japan's history, geography, politics, economics, and society, with a range of helpful reference tools.

Delving deeper than typical reference books, Asia in Focus: Japan is the ideal authoritative introduction to Japanese life for students, businesspeople, travelers, and other interested readers. The volume offers a contemporary look at the Japanese economy, extensive cultural coverage, and a rich collection of photographs. This resource also dispels long-running stereotypes and misconceptions to show Japan's surprising diversity and creativity.

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Kären Wigen probes regional cartography, choerography, and statecraft to redefine restoration (ishin) in modern Japanese history. As developed here, that term designates not the quick coup d'état of 1868 but a three-centuries-long project of rehabilitating an ancient map for modern purposes. Drawing on a wide range of geographical documents from Shinano (present-day Nagano Prefecture), Wigen argues that both the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868) and the reformers of the Meiji era (1868-1912) recruited the classical map to serve the cause of administrative reform. Nor were they alone; provincial men of letters played an equally critical role in bringing imperial geography back to life in the countryside. To substantiate these claims, Wigen traces the continuing career of the classical court's most important unit of governance--the province--in central Honshu. ... Read more

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This study looks at Japanese studies in the United States and Canada at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It reflects the life experiences and academic training of the people who identify themselves as Japan specialists, and the structures that have been created to house and nurture the study of Japan over the past six decades. It encompasses both Japan specialists and Japanese studies institutions and presents the current situation not only by looking at new survey data, but also by comparing that information with what has been collected and analyzed at several previous points in the relatively short history of the field.The Japan Foundation is the Japanese government's agency for cultural diplomacy and international cultural affairs. Established in 1972 by special legislation in the Japanese Diet, The Japan Foundation became an Independent Administrative Institution in October 2003. Its mission is to promote international cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. It maintains its headquarters in Tokyo and operates through a network of 19 overseas offices in 18 countries worldwide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Comprehensive and Thorough Japanese History for Kids
This children's book covers a wide range of topics from the Jomon period of ancient Japan to modern Japan.Best digested in small chunks (particularly for younger children), this extremely informative book is filled -- but not cluttered with photographs, drawings, and tidbits which make reading nonfiction work more palatable for young children.The book is a chronological journey through Japan, but also has a few sprinklings of culture...touching briefly on the tea ceremony, poetry, and the arts.We are stationed in Japan and we have all learned a tremendous amount of history about our host country's history with this book as the main "text".The target age is likely middle school, but younger readers with an interest will enjoy it as well (mine are 6 and 8 so we just cover one of the 6 sections a week).I recommend the following nonfiction books to accompany this one, especially if you want to add more culture:Ancient Japan unit (e-book by Teacher Created Resources) Teacher Created THEMATIC UNIT ANCIENT JAPAN CHALLENGING - 1 bookwhich uses Tames' book; The Japanese (Ancient World); Step Into... Ancient Japan (The Step Into Series) (and other books) by Fiona MacDonald; Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy;and Japan (Make it Work! History).

JAPAN A TRAVELLER'S HISTORY OF
Past and present gave a westerner view of culture and their characteristic vertues.Having Japanese friends and co-workers I wanted to understand their unfathomable virtue and how civil the makeup.I find that Mr. Tames not only covered the world they came from but how they are contributing to our culture in America 2000. Past and Present:-) ... Read more

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"Knowing Japan and the Japanese better," Louis Frédéric states in the introduction to this encyclopedia, "is one of the necessities of modern life." The Japanese have a profound knowledge of every aspect and detail of Western societies. Unfortunately, we in the West cannot say the same about our knowledge of Japan. We tend to see Japan through a veil of exoticism, as a land of ancient customs and exquisite arts; or we view it as a powerful contributor to the global economy, the source of cutting-edge electronics and innovative management techniques. To go beyond these clichés, we must begin to see how apparently contradictory aspects of modern Japanese culture spring from the country's evolution through more than two millennia of history.

This richly detailed yet concise encyclopedia is a guide to the full range of Japanese history and civilization, from the dawn of its prehistory to today, providing clear and accessible information on society and institutions, commerce and industry, sciences, sports, and politics, with particular emphasis on religion, material culture, and the arts. The volume is enhanced by maps and illustrations, along with a detailed chronology of more than 2,000 years of Japanese history and a comprehensive bibliography. Cross-references and an index help the reader trace themes from one article to the next.

Japan Encyclopedia will be an indispensable one-volume reference for students, scholars, travelers, journalists, and anyone who wishes to learn more about the past and present of this great world civilization.

Customer Reviews (2)

Not bad for a one-volume encyclopedia
I picked up a copy of this book a few years ago and generally keep it around. This book was translated from French, and could probably do with a better translation. I do wonder whether Frederec actually wrote all of the articles, whether he edited the work, or merely lent his name to it. The short articles are for the most part fairly accessible and resonably accurate. The problem is that they are not all accurate. On the other hand, I have found inaccuracies in many other places including museum exhibits. Consequently, if you are a beginner or simply want a handy reference, this is a pretty good book to buy. However, the individual articles are not attested for authorship nor are they annotated for source. Yes! You can do better than this book. However, if you are in a position to do so, then you probably read Japanese and are using Japanese sources for much of your work. I am probably giving it one star more than I really should, but I beleive that its current average is too low. This book fills a niche between popular treatments and authoratative scholary treatments. If one keeps this in mind, then it can be quite useful.

An embarrassment for Harvard University Press
I purchased this book to use as a reference, to confirm various facts about Japanese life, culture, religion, etc. Unfortunately, it is so riddled with errors, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies that it is essentially useless. What's the point of a reference work that can't be trusted?

Compounding the problem is the book's sloppy production and editing. Cross references lead to entries that don't exist, or that have been retitled (Ex.: Under "Trade" entry, there's an x-ref "see Dejima," but there's no "Dejima" entry; it's been retitled "Deshima" and re-alphabetized), or that circle you back to the original entry (Ex.: "Cherry tree" has an x-ref to "Sakura." Flip to the entry for "Sakura" and you find "See Cherry tree.") These are by no means isolated cases.

The volume's use of macrons (the Japanese diacritical indicating a long vowel) is inconsistent. Since the presence or absence of a macron can completely change the meaning of a word, this is a huge problem. The inconsistencies in spelling are so widespread that one gets the feeling that no one involved in this book knew a whit about the Japanese language.

It's sad that a publisher like Harvard's Belknap Press would release a volume that obviously needed about another year's worth of fact checking and a hell of rigorous proofread.

A one-volume English-language encyclopedia of Japan would be a great thing. We'll just have to keep waiting for one. ... Read more

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Japan has long wrestled with the memories and legacies of World War II. In the aftermath of defeat, war memory developed as an integral part of particular and divergent approaches to postwar democracy. In the last six decades, the demands placed upon postwar democracy have shifted considerably—from social protest through high economic growth to Japan’s relations in Asia—and the meanings of the war shifted with them.

This book unravels the political dynamics that governed the place of war memory in public life. Far from reconciling with the victims of Japanese imperialism, successive conservative administrations have left the memory of the war to representatives of special interests and citizen movements, all of whom used war memory to further their own interests.

Franziska Seraphim traces the activism of five prominent civic organizations to examine the ways in which diverse organized memories have secured legitimate niches within the public sphere. The history of these domestic conflicts—over the commemoration of the war dead, the manipulation of national symbols, the teaching of history, or the articulation of relations with China and Korea—is crucial to the current discourse about apology and reconciliation in East Asia, and provides essential context for the global debate on war memory.

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This series explores the everyday life and cutsoms in different countries around the world. Each book combines key geographical, historical and cultural facts with related activities, games and craft ideas. Ages 9+. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Very good - for its purpose.
This one volume overview of Japan's history is great for my use. I read a lot of books by Japanese authors. I wanted a source to go to for an overview of events referred to in the books I was reading. The inclusion of a timeline, gazetteer, lists of rulers and index make this a very handy book.

Every history book has its critics. There are always items wished for that weren't included and items that we have no interest in. For instance, I've never read a history book that I thought had enough maps. But that keeps the publishers of maps and atlases in business.

This is balanced for its intended audience. I have three in this series and I use them often.

Good but needs supplemental texts or maps.
This is certainly an ambitious book. It attempts to cover thousands of years of Japanese history, as well as explain various aspects of Japanese culture and religion. It is highly readable however the cast of historic characters can become overwhelming.

I will first list the strengths of the book. The book does a very good job of explaining the centralization of Japan under a single Emperor and then the process by which the royal family was relegated (and overwhelmed) to court formality and ritual. A very curious tradition began whereby the Emperor would abdicate to a son or grandson who would then take on the all the responsibilities of court rituals and ceremonies. The abdicating emperor would then become a monk and live in a reclusive palace beside the main ceremonial palace. However, the former emperor would actually control the government while the 'official' emperor would be stuck with hours upon hours of court formality and ritual. A very wise system was thus developed that divided governing from the rituals of governing. The slow movement of power from Kyoto to Tokyo is also well documented. This period is marked by the rise of military dictators, Shoguns, who shared power with the royal family and frequently intermarried with the royal family so that eventually Shogun families had claims to the throne.

The book does a very good job of explaining the differences and similarities between Shinto and Buddhist religions and their combined influence on Japanese culture and spirituality.

The book has a weakness however that should be mentioned. The book does not discriminate well between landmarks and shrines that no longer exists and landmarks and shrines that are open to the public. The book does not tell the travel how to find significant historic sites or how to navigate within the sites once they are found. In this regard I found I needed a second book to help me. I used the Eyewitness Guide to Japan which offered many photographs and clear directions and between the two books I was able to identify significant sites and then locate them and reach them using the Eyewitness book.

If you wish to learn far more about Samurai, the Pillow Book, the Book of Genji, the rise and expulsion of Christian missionaries, and the bloody internal wars - this is certainly a good book. If you wish to then use some of this knowledge to see actual sites within Japan, you need more information.

Concise history, but I wish it would tie in with the sights.
I read this book while travelling around in Japan.It is a very concise, readable history of Japan, but the title is misleading.It actually has nothing whatever to say about linking travel in Japan with Japanese history.I was hoping to find a book which could relate the many sites one visits in Japan with its history.If you want to get a feel for the history behind the tourist traps, you will be disappainted in this book, as I was.If you want a straightforward, easy-to-read general history of Japan, this book is for you.

A Great Book for Starters!
Contrary to the popular opinion here, I enjoyed this book. For some one who does not really know much about Japan, or Japanese history, for that matter, the book is great. It starts off with a short prehistory, followed by the first Yamato state in Japan, followed by the Heian era, and the different shogunal dynasties, such as the Tokugawa and the Kamakura Shogunates. Then, it gives information about the Meiji Period, Japan's time as a power, and its defeat in World War II. It ends with a description of Modern Japan politically, socially, and economically.

One person said that Buddhism gets no treatment. Actually, it does. All of the important Buddhist sects (Tendai, Shingon, Nichiren, Pure Land, and Zen) are mentioned and information given about them. I do have to say, however, that Shintoism gets hardly any treatment.

And I do wisht hat the book gave more pictures and more information about the imperial family. But apart from that, I would get it!

Missing the most important aspect of Japan
Any visitor to a foreign country is well advised to get to know its religion, not only because it's practiced by most inhabitants of the country, but also it illuminates many cultural and social parculiarities of the locale.This book claims to be a travellers' book on Japan, yet Buddhism, which informs many of Japan's architectures/temples, art, literature, is relegated to an a few index pages in the back of the book.More distressingly, Christianity is treated with a whole chapter, "The Christian Century", which should be appropriately titled "Encounters with the West".The Christian Century implies somehow that Japan was almost Christianized, when in fact the reader will find that at most 50,000 Japanese converted during that time.Too much emphasis is put on how these converts were persecuted, without putting these incidents into historical context.In 16th century Japan, the Emperors saw Christianity as a threat and meddling to their affairs, due in part to the missionaries' arrogant dismissal of Buddhism as idolatry.In the index, Buddhism is said to be a religion that "conceives salvation as extinction, rather than redemption."This is a serious misunderstanding of Buddhism. ... Read more

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"Spotlight on Japan" reveals the beauty of this island nation, from its bamboo forests to its majestic mountains. The everyday life of the modern Japanese people is highlighted along with traditional customs, such as the tea ceremony, and modern leisure activities, such as manga and karaoke. Children will also be fascinated to learn about the way of life of the ancient samurai warrior. ... Read more

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Countries in Our World focuses on the countries that shape and influence our modern world. Each book examines physical features, daily life, industry, media, leisure and much more. Each title in Countries in our World is a mine of useful information ideal for school and project work. ... Read more

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Examines how Japan's geography influenced its social, economic, and political structure. ... Read more

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Step into Japan without moving. See what the Japanese eat, where they go shopping and what games they play. Travel around the countryside and see what people do there, and visit two families to find out how they live. ... Read more

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Historical demography is the study of patterns and changes in a society's population before the collection of data through modern censuses. For Japan, data on family size and structure, fertility and infant mortality, marriage patterns, urban and rural populations, and migration from one region of the country to another have been preserved for several centuries in temple registration documents, population and cadastral surveys conducted by the Tokugawa government from the17th to 19th centuries, and other sources of information. In this volume, Akira Hayami, one of the pioneers of historical demography in Japan, reports on the findings of researchers who are working with these rich sources of data. He explains the importance of their conclusions not only for historical studies but also for understanding the demography of contemporary Japan and its foreseeable future. ... Read more

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"Waiting for Wolves in Japan is one of the finest studies of human-animal relations to appear in recent years." —Anthrozoös

"A superb study that reveals much about human-animal interactions and relationships among humans. This book is sure to be of interest to students of anthropology, ecology, and animal studies, as well as Asian studies. . . . [Chapters consider] human-wildlife relations by focusing on harm caused by wild boars, monkeys, deer and serow (a goat-antelope), and bears. . . . [The book] also looks at wolves and the debate over their possible reintroduction. . . . Those interested in gaining insight about the social repercussions of environmental issues and the symbolic and material connections among humans and other creatures are sure to find this book to be essential reading." —Journal of Asian Studies

"This book is more than a story of human-wildlife conflict because it provides tremendous detail about the lives and habits of hunters, farmers, foresters, and animal-lovers of many sorts, as well as valuable insights into the behavior of Japanese wild pigs, deer, serow, macaques, and bears. Fro this reason, Knight’s book will interest those studying the human dimensions of biodiversity conservation, community natural resource management, and the behavior and conservation of large mammals in human-dominated landscapes." —Conservation Biology

"John Knight successfully introduces welcome sophistication into the discussion of human-wildlife relations. Yet he writes with admirable cogency and simplicity to reach a wider audience in environmental anthropology, cultural studies of nature, and the world of conservation policymakers. This fine book should receive a large and appreciative audience." —Journal of Japanese Studies ... Read more

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Describes the trends, diversity and differences in Japanese and British geographical studies. ... Read more

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Mark Ramseyer and Frances McCall Rosenbluth show how rational-choice theory can be applied to Japanese politics. Using the concept of principal and agent,Ramseyer ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good introduction to Japanese politics
This was one of my textbooks for a class in Japanese politics, and while some of the tables and charts might seem superfluous or overwhelming to someone with little background on the subject (like myself), the book's first two chapters make up a particularly good summary of Japan's political structure, discussing briefly how culture plays into it, and how voters and the electoral systems are organized.

Each of the ten chapters also has a conclusion that clarifies the content of the chapter, which I found an effective tool for understanding the denser material -- the many factions of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan's main ruling party), and how its conservative leaders have been able to maintain power relatively uninterrupted in Japan. ... Read more

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ALAN BOOTH'S CLASSIC OF MODERN TRAVEL WRITING

Traveling only along small back roads, Alan Booth traversed Japan's entire length on foot, from Soya at the country's northernmost tip, to Cape Sata in the extreme south, across three islands and some 2,000 miles of rural Japan. The Roads to Sata is his wry, witty, inimitable account of that prodigious trek.

Although he was a city person-he was brought up in London and spent most of his adult life in Tokyo - Booth had an extraordinary ability to capture the feel of rural Japan in his writing. Throughout his long and arduous trek, he encountered a variety of people who inhabit the Japanese countryside-from fishermen and soldiers, to bar hostesses and school teachers, to hermits, drunks, and tramps. His wonderful and often hilarious descriptions of these encounters are the highlights of these pages, painting a multifaceted picture of Japan from the perspective of an outsider, but with the knowledge of an insider.

The Roads to Sata is travel writing at its best, illuminating and disarming, poignant yet hilarious, critical but respectful. Traveling across Japan with Alan Booth, readers will enjoy the wit and insight of a uniquely perceptive guide, and more importantly, they will discover a new face of an often misunderstood nation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Electral Changing Intensities
This is not a book of new facts, funny stories, or even insights about Japan, although these things are imparted by the way. It's a leisurely and luxuriating journey, intended for people with enough patience to be drawn into an aesthetic. In other words, it is a book whose only object is to be itself. Readers who require being steadily piqued will fail to undergo the slow processes of the subconscious whereby we become sensitive to new intensities in life. Meanwhile, for anyone with the fortune to have bathed in the glow of the Rising Sun and observe her initiates, "The Roads to Sata" will both recall and impart shadows from the past--that is, it will enrich.

Should be at the top of the list of books in English on Japan
Booth is a great story-teller and I can only wish I had the chance to meet him at a social gathering while I was living in Japan.Much of what he wrote about is disappearing but centuries from now this text and Looking for the Lost will be wonderful time capsules.
If you don't buy it, scrounge around your friends apartments in Japan and steal an older copy.You'll be glad you did!

Pedestrian
I opened this book with great anticipation, and the first few pages were good. Alan Booth decides to walk from the north to the very south of Japan through the Japanese backcountry. There are a few good bits here, including an explanation of those badger statues I saw in Japan, and a few cultural references that I appreciated. Overall, though, going through the backcountry means avoiding the best Japan has to offer. I mean avoiding Kyoto, for example: that is one major reason to go to Japan (or Nikko, or Kamakura). I understand people who say that this isn't the real Japan, but take away Kyoto, Tokyo and a couple of other 'touristy' places and there would be no reason to be interested in Japan; it would just be another ugly, developed, paved over, and uglified country. This kinda shows in the book, which describes in excruciating detail walks through ugly little cities, detritus on the road, and a lot of dingy little inns. A lot of the pages are taken up by him getting soaked, drinking beer, and experiencing leg pains. He refuses a lot of rides, sticking to the principle of the thing, but, if you think about it, the main principle has to do with writing a book. I mean, if you wanted to meet people off the beaten path, from the north to the south, you wouldn't need to walk ALL the time; most of the times, or a lot, would suffice. You could get rides to take you over the dreary bits; ten minutes of walking on a dusty highway gives me the same kind of insight as three hours. But, no - you see, that couldn't be sold to publisher. Can you imagine a book that said: Alan Booth, walking through a big chunk of Japan? So I see this as a sort of publicity stunt; it does give a few insights, but you spend too much energy extracting them. In the end, you just wish you'd taken a shortcut.

Insights into the Japanese people and culture as told by real people.
At times when I was reading this book I could feel the anger and frustration of the author with the people and culture that he had adopted.I almost wondered why he was living there.But at other times you could clearly feel his wonder and joy.I've never been to Japan but will be departing in a few months for my first trip there, this book, unlike many of the others I've read about Japan has haunted me.I can't wait to experience even a small part of what Mr. Booth experienced and described to us.I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Japan and its people.

Great look into the contradictions of Japan
I really enjoyed this book and was easily able to digest it in a weekend. I never wanted to put it down as there was always something around the next bend.

The author does an incredibly good job at looking at japan from an unbiased perspective. He grumbles about kids yelling at him as he hikes, yet he write affectionately about loving obasan's at the ryokans. I enjoyed the humor within, but i admit it may not be for everyone, i mean he does have the British sense of humor.

While the book may be 20 years old i think it provides a good glimpse at the constant contradictions of japan. How polite Japanese people may be, but how they subconsciously look down on other countries (don't we all have our national pride?). Of the "foreigner in japan" books I've read this is THE best. Others may praise Japan, some may despise Japan, Booth experiences Japan. ... Read more