A Brief History of Japanese Civilization Book

When I was a student at UNT over ten years ago, this was the textbook for my Japanese history course.

I absolutely love this book as it has sentimental value for me since it was an important influence that inspired me to move to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Now over a decade later and after learning the Japanese language, I decided to review it thoroughly and focus on it in great detail. This book has everything you need to get a general understanding of Japanese history and I recommend it to anyone interested in the subject or in coming to Japan.

There are some reasons I reluctantly gave this four instead of five stars:
-There is no Japanese writing in this book, which is cumbersome for a serious student of the language, but probably accommodating for someone who isn't.
-Some dates are questionable like putting Hideyoshi's death date at 1616.
-Some important individuals who are too important not to be mentioned are left out, even in a brief history: Akamatsu Mitsusuke, Akechi Mitsuhide, Sakamoto Ryoma, and others.

In conclusion, it is very easy to understand and will give you the strong foundation you need to widen your understanding of the subject of Japanese history!