The shortest history of Japan : from mythical origins to pop culture powerhouse, the global drama of an ancient island nation / Lesley Downer.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

List of maps -- Chronology -- Introduction: Before time began -- Children of the Sun, 400 BCE-710 CE -- Nara: The flowering of Buddhism, 710-794 CE -- Heian: City of purple hills and crystal streams, 794-1180 -- Kamakura: Rise of the Samurai, 1180-1333 -- Muromachi: Beauty and turmoil, 1333-1573 -- Azuchi Momoyama: The men who would be Shogun, 1573-1603 -- Edo: Tokugawa Renaissance, 1603-1853 -- Bakumatsu: Fall of the Tokugawa, 1853-1868 -- Meiji: Headlong into the modern world, 1868-1912 -- Taisho: Crosscurrents, 1912-1926 -- Showa: From defeat to prosperity, 1926-1989 -- Heisei: Darker years, 1989-2019 -- Reiwa: A new emperor for a new age, 2019-present -- Further reading -- Image credits -- Acknowledgments -- Index -- About the author

"The story of a small Asian country with extraordinary aesthetic traditions that avoided colonization and overcame the devastation of World War II to become a prosperous modern force, while preserving its unique culture"-- Provided by publisher.

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