{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20261010T034321Z-reviewed-full-unique-works","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/4805313897?tag=bookfrontie00-20","asin":"4805313897","authors":["Jonathan Clements"],"book_id":"9784805313893","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/a-brief-history-of-japan-9784805313893","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9784805313893.jpg?v=f7817412a0b3c6a6","description":"This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion. First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a harbinger of post-industrial decline. With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests. Among the chapters in this Japanese history book are: - The Way of the Gods: Prehistoric and Mythical Japan - A Game of Thrones: Minamoto vs. Taira - Time Warp: 200 Years of Isolation - The Stench of Butter: Restoration and Modernization - The New Breed: The Japanese Miracle","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9784805313893","publication_date":"20170801","publisher":"Tuttle Publishing","slug":"a-brief-history-of-japan","subtitle":"Samurai, Shogun and Zen: the Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun","title":"A Brief History of Japan"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"TRV003050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Japan Travel","score":0.8188,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"LCO004030","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Japanese Literary Collections","score":0.8085,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"LIT008030","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Japanese Literary Criticism","score":0.8023,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"TRV003050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Japan Travel","score":0.8188,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"LCO004030","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Japanese Literary Collections","score":0.8085,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"LIT008030","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Japanese Literary Criticism","score":0.8023,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"HIS002000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Ancient History","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"HIS021000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Japanese History","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"SOC002010","confidence_band":"high","label":"How Cultures Work","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Japan Travel","score":0.8188,"slug":"japan-travel"},{"label":"Japanese Literary Collections","score":0.8085,"slug":"japanese-literary-collections"},{"label":"Japanese Literary Criticism","score":0.8023,"slug":"japanese-literary-criticism"}],"reader_fit":["For readers interested in Japan's history from ancient eras to modern life"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Christopher Harding"],"book_id":"9780141992280","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780141992280.jpg?v=7fa8aa1e6e2a81c5","score":0.8097,"title":"The Japanese","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780141992280"},{"authors":["Alexander Bennett"],"book_id":"9784805313756","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9784805313756.jpg?v=f814076ec15c1f81","score":0.7959,"title":"Japan the Ultimate Samurai Guide","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9784805313756"},{"authors":["Culture Smart!","Paul Norbury"],"book_id":"9781787028920","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781787028920.jpg?v=721726a97e9d1fe3","score":0.7826,"title":"Japan - Culture Smart!","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781787028920"},{"authors":["Jennifer Mitchelhill"],"book_id":"9784805313879","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9784805313879.jpg?v=6fe8e53326b8ae31","score":0.7665,"title":"Samurai Castles","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9784805313879"},{"authors":["Tyler Brule","Andrew Tuck"],"book_id":"9780500971079","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780500971079.jpg?v=3fbc1595299391a1","score":0.7655,"title":"The Monocle Book of Japan","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780500971079"},{"authors":["Pico Iyer"],"book_id":"9781101973479","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781101973479.jpg?v=d73c2c359132beda","score":0.7651,"title":"A Beginner's Guide to Japan","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781101973479"},{"authors":["A.B. 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