Short History of Japan

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A brief and thrilling introduction to Japan from one of the country's leading British historians

In this enormously enjoyable introduction to a remarkable country, Christopher Harding traces Japan's rich history over several millennia. Beginning with its earliest coastal communities through to the spread of Buddhism, the rise of the warlords, the promise and menace of the West and Japan's own empire-building, Harding explores how a distinctly Japanese society and culture was forged.

Drawing on the latest scholarship, A Short History of Japan moves beyond traditional tourist-board cliches to consider Japan's own view of its past, values and culture, from ceramics and theatre to food and architecture. The result is a sensory, tactile history conveying to the reader much about Japan's special nature. Harding skilfully shows how these everyday details are intimately bound up with the bigger historical picture, as an expression of the values that have been extraordinarily successful in helping the country to cope with centuries of radical change.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Hardback
ISBN13: 9780241563199
Published: September 2025

Number of pages: 240
Width: 143 mm
Height: 224 mm
Depth: 24 mm

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd