A Companion to Japanese History

A Companion to Japanese History provides an authoritative overview of current debates and approaches within the study of Japan’s history. Composed of 30 chapters written by an international group of scholars, it balances treatment of traditional themes with coverage of current trends and emerging perspectives. The volume presents a chronological survey of Japanese history from the country’s earliest history up to the present day, giving readers insights into the key developments in each period of Japan’s past. It also examines themes and alternative histories, with a particular emphasis on approaches and issues that will shape the future development of scholarship in Japanese history.

List of Maps. Notes on Contributors. Introduction (William M. Tsutsui). P ARTI JAPAN BEFORE 1600. 1 Japanese Beginnings (Mark J. Hudson). 2 The Heian Period (G. Cameron Hurst III). 3 Medieval Japan (Andrew Edmund Goble). P ART II EARLY MODERN JAPAN. 4 Unification, Consolidation, and Tokugawa Rule (Philip C. Brown). 5 Social and Economic Change in Tokugawa Japan (Edward E. Pratt). 6 Intellectual Change in Tokugawa Japan (Peter Nosco). 7 Cultural Developments in Tokugawa Japan (Lawrence E. Marceau). P ART III MODERN JAPAN: FROM THE MEIJI RESTORATION THROUGH WORLD WAR II. 8 Restoration and Revolution (James L. Huffman). 9 Oligarchy, Democracy, and Fascism (Stephen S. Large). 10 Social and Economic Change in Prewar Japan (Mark Jones and Steven Ericson). 11 Intellectual Life, Culture, and the Challenge of Modernity (Elise K. Tipton). 12 External Relations (Frederick R. Dickinson). 13 The Japanese Empire (Y. Tak Matsusaka). 14 The Fifteen–Year War (W. Miles Fletcher III). P ART IV JAPAN SINCE 1945. 15 The Occupation (Mark Metzler). 16 Postwar Politics (Ray Christensen). 17 The Postwar Japanese Economy (Bai Gao). 18 Postwar Society and Culture (Wesley Sasaki–Uemura). 19 Japan in the World (Glenn D. Hook). P ARTV THEMES IN JAPANESE HISTORY. 20 Women and Sexuality in Premodern Japan (Hitomi Tonomura). 21 Gender and Sexuality in Modern Japan (Sally A. Hastings). 22 Class and Social Stratification (Ian Neary). 23 Japan in Asia (Leo Ching). 24 Center and Periphery in Japanese Historical Studies (Michael Lewis). 25 Modernity, Water, and the Environment in Japan (Gavan McCormack). 26 Popular Culture (E. Taylor Atkins). 27 Rural Japan and Agriculture (Eric C. Rath). 28 Business and Labor (Charles Weathers). 29 Authority and the Individual (J. Victor Koschmann). 30 National Identity and Nationalism (Kevin M. Doak). Consolidated Bibliography. Index.

William M. Tsutsui is Professor of History at the University of Kansas. He is the author of Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters (2004), Manufacturing Ideology: Scientific Management in Twentieth–Century Japan (1998), and Banking Policy in Japan: American Efforts at Reform During the Occupation (1988).

"William M. Tsutsui introduces A C:oml∼anion to Japanese History as an ambitious snapshot of Japan studies since the breakdown of the authority of modernization theory in the last half of the twentieth century." (Journal of World History, June 2010) “The well–written contributions, which blend together skillfully to form a unified whole, reflect the authors’ authoritative knowledge of Japan … As a one–volume tour–de–force of Japanese history, this book stands out.” ( American Reference Books Annual ) A Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2007 “Tsutsui has edited an invaluable and authoritative overview of current scholarship on the history of Japan. The 30 chapters, written by an international group of scholars, provide balanced treatment of traditional themes with coverage of recent trends, debates, and emerging perspectives … Essential. All levels/libraries.” ( Choice ) "A vital reference tool for a large reference or academic library, providing a much needed fresh approach to the subject areas covered." ( Reference Reviews )