| Description: | 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 Among The Chapters In This Japanese History Book Are: The Way Of The Gods: Prehistoric And Mythical Japan A Game Of Thrones: Minamoto Vs Taira Time Warp: 200 Years Of Isolation The Stench Of Butter: Restoration And Modernization The New Breed: The Japanese Miracle |
