Reviews for Short History of Japan From Samurai to Sony

The average rating for Short History of Japan From Samurai to Sony based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-10-29 00:00:00 Jim Kirchefer 3.75 stars This book, I think, should be a must for readers keen on knowing more on Japan since it has revealed interesting information in nine chapters covering these titles: Introduction, In the beginning, Chaos to unity: Feudalism in Japan, Modernisation and imperialism, War and peace, The miracle economy, Japan as number one?, Bursting bubbles, and The way ahead. I eventually found its narratives arguably understandable with its concise readability, in other words, the author has written the chapters with his indepth knowledge backed up by reliable sources of current information, references and sufficient illustrations. Around three decades ago in 1973 (and later in 1976), there was an unthinkable uprising by university students as depicted on this site: I recall there were dismal chaos and fierce protests including a rally by a group of students who led a mass protest against Japanese imported goods generally rampant in Thailand. One of their key verbal discourses aimed at attacking such seemingly selfish Japanese ways of doing business then by titling them derisively as สัตว์เศรษฐกิจ which I found a bit ambiguously communicative and suspected it might have been translated from English. Indeed, this Thai word was not normally used in everyday mass media, it's purposedly coined to use to condemn Japan in that rally context. As soon as I came across 'economic animals' in this book (p. 177), I felt like I heard 'Aha' in my mind, that's it! The word was definitely translated from English. Furthermore, we would find reading this book rather informatively supportive because its layout is generous with 27 black-and-white illustrations, for instance, An increasingly rare sight in modern Japan (p. 6), Fox gami, Shinto shrine, Kamakura (p. 20), Shinto gate, Izu Peninsula (p. 21), Kannon Buddhist temple, Tokyo (p. 29), Cherry blossoms, Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo (p. 30), etc. There are 4 diagrams/charts as follows: Diagram showing that the Japanese people are genetically close to the peoples of both Southeast Asia and the Asian mainland (p. 23), Chart showing examples of the derivation of Kana (p. 33), Chart showing that the Mitsubishi Group, like other Japanese keirestu, is comprised of a number of related corporations (p. 151), and Chart showing that Japan's changing population pyramid clearly shows the country's rapidly ageing population (p. 212). There are 7 maps as follows: Japan's lands and cities (p. vi), The Yamato state, 3rd to 6th century (p. 26), West Japan in ancient times (p. 27), Korea and Japan (p. 37), Japan on the eve of the Meiji Restoration (p. 74), Territory under Japan's control, 1910 (p. 95), The growth of Japan's empire (p. 101). Finally, there are 10 illustrations in color (between pages 118-119): 1) Coming of Age, Tokyo, 2) Yasukuni-jinja, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Japan's war dead, 3) Fox god (kami), Niigata, 4) Buddhist monk, Tokyo, 5) Japanese garden, 6) Shinjuku's central business district, 7) The Dai Butsu of Kamakura, cast in 1252, 8) Gate of a Shinto shrine, Niigata, 9) Asakusa Kannon temple, Tokyo, and 10) Sakura (cherry blossom) party, Tokyo. To continue . . .

Review # 2 was written on 2010-09-04 00:00:00 Adam Dixon Most histories of Japan remind me of my high school history classes. They pack it in after World War Two. At last, one that doesn't drone on for eighty plus pages about the various forms of noh plays, and actually pays attention to Japan's postwar boom, bubble economy, and aftermath.