A Short History of Japan

A history that somehow manages to be at once succinct and sweeping: essential reading for anyone interested in this most fascinating of countries * Tom Holland *The perfect introduction to [Japan’s] intriguing society is Christopher Harding’s lively new A Short History of Japan. Starting with prehistory, Harding explores the importance of Buddhism, the path to modernisation and, in particular, the role of cultural and material history, including the Japanese traditions of theatre and ceramics. The book is short, yes – but its scope is long, deep and rich – Rana Mitter * History Extra, Best History Books of 2025 *Praise for Christopher Harding’s JAPAN STORY * - *How much I admired it, what a lot I learned from it and, above all, how very much I enjoyed it … Masterly * Neil MacGregor *Lucid and lyrical … delivered with his flair for storytelling … one of the best accounts I’ve ever read of what happens - for better and worse - when a country’s relationship with the world is abruptly renegotiated – Alex Dudok de Wit * The Telegraph *

Christopher Harding is the author of Japan Story, The Japanese, and The Light of Asia. He teaches at the University of Edinburgh and frequently broadcasts on Radio 3 and Radio 4. He also writes the Japan and the World blog, about Japanese history and culture.

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