Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan Book

I don't normally read nonfiction, but I came across this title when I was trying to find a good resource on the topic some few weeks ago and ordered it in to my local library. As the title suggests, it's a general guide to the various aspects of life in Japan from 1185-1868, commonly known as the Medieval and early modern periods.

I found this to be a very useful resource with great information on the subject. It's more or less an introduction to the topic, without going overly into detail regarding any particular matter, but it provides an excellent basic view of life in Japan and covers every aspect of life that I can think of, including history, warrior culture, demographics, religion, daily life, art and architecture, and more. The information provided was easily palatable without being dumbed down and each topic was covered pretty evenly. In addition to the information the book itself provided, each chapter ended with a list of recommended reading for more information on the subject, though some listings I found confusing - occasionally there would be nothing but a date - and along with a bibliography at the end of the book, there was a list of museums outside Japan with notable Japanese collections.

I found this book both very helpful for my own research and a very interesting read on its own merit, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the subject or even those with a casual interest in it. In fact, reading it has me interested in some other books listed on the back cover in the Handbook to Life series, such as those on ancient Rome, Aztec, and Renaissance.