The Shortest History of Japan (Shortest Histories), UK Edition by Lesley Downer
English | September 10th, 2024 | ISBN: 1913083632 | 288 pages | True EPUB | 5.98 MB
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.