A riveting history of Japan – an island nation forged by isolation, shaped by influence and bound by tradition Zen, haiku, martial arts, sushi, anime, manga, video games and the Ikigai philosophy – many aspects of Japanese society influenced cultures across the world. But where did it all begin? How did Japan’s unique traditions, philosophies, and aesthetics come to be? This book takes us on a sweeping journey through the island nation’s rich and fascinating history – from its prehistoric roots in 14,500 BCE to the bustling, high-tech nation of today. It explores the myth of emperors descended from the Sun Goddess, the rise and fall of samurai warlords, the elegance of court ladies and geishas, the resilience of women warriors and rulers, and the pragmatism of its merchants and world-renowned businessmen who moulded modern Japan. From the isolationist policies of the Tokugawa shoguns to the rapid Westernization of the Meiji era, Japan has skillfully balanced tradition and transformation. The island nation, shaped like a necklace along Asia’s coast, used the sea as a shield against invasion, helping protect its culture even as it was impacted by foreign influences. Combining engaging storytelling and historical insight, Lesley Downer brings to life the people, power struggles, philosophies and art that forged one of the world’s most fascinating civilizations.
Author
I write historical fiction set in Japan - women’s untold stories, largely true and based on meticulous and detailed research, though primarily, of course, good yarns. I’ve just finished The Shogun’s Queen, the fourth of The Shogun Quartet, four novels set in the nineteenth century during the tumultuous fifteen years when Japan was convulsed by civil war and transformed from rule by the shoguns into a society that looked to the west. Preorder: http://bit.ly/TheShogunsQueen The second, The Last Concubine, was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2009 and translated into 30 languages. The other two novels are The Courtesan and the Samurai and The Samurai’s Daughter. My non-fiction on Japan includes Geisha: The Remarkable Truth Behind the Fiction and Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha who Seduced the West. I’m also a journalist and travel writer, give lectures and teach Creative Writing at City University in London.
