Ever since US Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders in 1853, the culture of this remarkable and distant archipelago has enriched western life.
At the same time the country has embraced foreign institutions, from baseball to barber shops.
Yet for centuries, under the rule of the shoguns, the islands were largely sealed off from the outside world. In charting a course between openness and insularity, Japan has found a way to become ultra-modern while breathing new life into its own unique traditions.
Here are the emperors and warlords, the samurai and women warriors, the merchants and geisha who shaped this extraordinary modern society.
From the hunter-gatherers who fashioned the world’s first pots to the novel-writing ladies of the 11th-century Heian court, from the devastation of Hiroshima to today’s economic and cultural powerhouse, this is the history of the land of the rising sun.
The Shortest History of Japan by Lesley Downer is published on 10 September, 2024.
Find out more about some of the impressive women in the country’s history in Lesley’s feature, Japan’s court ladies, warrior women and courtesans.
For more historical writing, have a look at our round-up of over 180 books published his year.
