Japanese history: A Captivating Guide to Modern Japanese History

Japan's history is one of sharp contrasts -- centuries of isolation followed by rapid modernization, ancient traditions existing alongside cutting-edge technology, and periods of devastating conflict giving way to remarkable recovery. It's a story that goes far beyond samurai and sushi, though both play their part. This book follows japan from its earliest origins through the imperial courts of nara and kyoto, the rise of the samurai class, the long centuries of shogunate rule, the dramatic opening to the west in the 1850s, and the turbulent twentieth century. You will discover: How japan remained stuck in time How the samurai influenced japan both during their rule and even today The great unifier tokugawa ieyasu, who took 100,000 heads of his enemies to become the shogun of japan How the arrival of the us fleet in 1853 changed japan forever How japan rose from a backward nation to a world power in the span of forty years How western, especially american, culture became so popular in japanSince 1600, the japanese had been closed off from the world. This began during the era of the tokugawa shoguns, the family of generals who ruled japan in the name of the emperor. Their reign ended in the early 1860s when the people of japan realized that living in the past (under the samurai) had put them at a great disadvantage to the western nations. Between 1868 and 1912, japan rose from a country stuck in the 17th century to a world power that defeated both china and russia at war. In the 1920s and 1930s, japan went from an evolving democracy to a resurgent military government, which attempted to dominate much of asia and the pacific.