A General History of Japan (2 Volumes)

冯玮Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Press · ChinaSep 2024

Rating 4.2
Word count
1.2M words
Chapters
24
ISBN
9787552041415

Tags

World History East Asia PatternShogunate ChangesRegency PoliticsPolitical EvolutionJapanese HistorySamurai RegimeGeneral HistoryHistorical MaterialRevised EditionModern Transformation

Summary

This two-volume set comprises A General History of Japan: Volume I and A General History of Japan: Volume II.

This book is a revised edition of A General History of Japan, currently published by our press. It traces Japan's history from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century, analyzing the formation of Japan's distinctive "sekkan politics" (rule by regents and chancellors) and the establishment of the "warrior government" that constituted Japan's dual political structure. It recounts Japan's unification from Oda Nobunaga's "tenka fubu" (rule the realm by force) to Tokugawa shogun's "Genna armistice," describes the distinctive Japanese culture that has been passed down to the present—Shinto, monogatari, haiku, ukiyo-e, and more—and presents the turbulent modernization process after the Meiji Restoration, the outbreak and gradual expansion of the Sino-Japanese War through to the eventual outbreak of the Pacific War, Japan's defeat, and the dissolution of postwar Japan's "1955 system." It also traces Japan's postwar path from economic power to political power. This revision adds new documentary materials, making the book's content more substantial. It offers certain social and economic benefits.

Editor's review

Professor Feng Wei's A General History of Japan is a masterful general history that combines scholarly depth with fluid readability. As a leading Chinese authority on Japanese history, Feng Wei draws on decades of research to construct a clear and expansive narrative framework. This book is no simple chronicle of events; rather, taking "civilizational evolution" as its core, it probes deeply into the dynamic changes in Japan's social structure, cultural psychology, and international relations from the Jōmon period to the present. Particularly valuable is that, on a foundation of solid historical sources, the author incorporates cutting-edge perspectives from international scholarship and offers cool-headed analysis of many popular yet one-sided historical perceptions. For key issues such as the success of the Meiji Restoration and the roots of the postwar economic miracle, the book provides multidimensional and thought-provoking explanations. Its narrative avoids both nationalist sentiment and the trap of Western-centrism, striving to present a real, complex, and constantly changing Japan. For readers who wish to go beyond superficial curiosity and truly understand how Japan became what it is today, this two-volume work offers a reliable and captivating cognitive map.

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Reading tips

  1. Reading in order is recommended, with attention to the relationships of continuity and rupture between historical stages, so as to grasp the continuity of Japanese civilizational development.
  2. The maps, genealogical tables, and other supplementary materials in the book can be used to build a spatiotemporal framework and deepen understanding of historical geography and political structures.
  3. While reading, readers may wish to compare the book's arguments with their own existing understanding of Japan; this can greatly enhance the rewards and pleasure of reading.

About the publisher

Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Press China · Founded in 1982

Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Press is a comprehensive publisher with humanities and social science publishing as its mainstay, covering politics, economics, law, philosophy, history, literature, education, psychology and related fields. Judging from the books in our catalog, its publishing direction emphasizes social science thought, applied psychology, history and cultural life: it includes works of social theory such as Zygmunt Bauman's Work, Consumerism and the New Poor, general-interest titles such as How to Read Western Classics and A Guide to the Good Life, and practical psychology books such as Emotional First Aid. In history and food culture, it offers Shanghai History (2 volumes) and The Medieval Kitchen. Biographies such as The Suffragette and nature and culture titles such as Dragon: An Unidentified Animal together reflect a publishing character that balances academic depth with reading for the general public. Because public information is limited, further details about series and author resources are not listed here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 日本通史：上
  3. 前言
  4. 史前和古代篇
  5. 第一章 史前时代
  6. 第二章 大和时代
  7. 第三章 奈良时代
  8. 第四章 平安时代
  9. 中世篇
  10. 第五章 镰仓时代
  11. 第六章 室町时代
  12. 第七章 战国时代
  13. 近世篇
  14. 第八章 江户时代
  15. 日本通史：下
  16. 近代篇
  17. 第九章 明治时代
  18. 第十章 大正时代
  19. 第十一章 昭和时代（战前）
  20. 现代篇
  21. 第十二章 昭和时代（战后）
  22. 第十三章 平成时代
  23. 附录 历代天皇、首相、幕府将军在位时间
  24. 后语

FAQ

What are the main features of this General History of Japan compared with other Japanese history works on the market? The book's core features lie in the continuity of its "general history" approach and its scholarly currency. Professor Feng Wei not only lays out a complete thread from ancient times to the present but focuses on analyzing the internal driving forces and transformation mechanisms of Japanese civilization, integrating multiple perspectives from socioeconomic history, intellectual and cultural history, and international relations history, and offering many profound insights that go beyond textbook conclusions.
Is the book too academic for ordinary readers to understand? Although its scholarly foundation is deep, Professor Feng Wei's writing style strives for clarity and fluency, avoiding dense jargon. The book includes necessary background explanations and vivid case analyses; as long as readers have some interest in historical knowledge, ordinary readers can fully follow the author's guidance and gradually go deeper. It is more like a learned mentor giving a systematic course of lectures.
The set covers content up to the twenty-first century. What is distinctive about its view of contemporary Japan? The book's analysis of postwar Japan and the Heisei and Reiwa eras does not stop at the surface of economic data or political events but probes deeply into changes in national identity under the "peace constitution," the social structural rigidities behind economic stagnation, and Japan's cultural exports and identity anxiety in the age of globalization. These analyses help readers look beyond news headlines and understand the deep challenges and choices facing contemporary Japan.

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About the author

冯玮 Author

Feng Wei is an author about whom limited public information is available, whose work focuses mainly on Japanese history and economy. Three of his books are held in the collection: A General History of Japan (2 volumes), The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, and The Corporate State: A History of the Japanese Economy. Spanning world history, culture, and finance, these titles show a twofold interest in Japanese society: tracing the overall arc of Japanese history, drawing on a classic text to understand Japanese cultural psychology, and further examining the place of corporate organization in the Japanese economy. In his approach he tends to combine general historical narrative with case analysis, discussing institutions, culture, and the economy within a single framework, so that readers gain both a chronological thread and close views of specific issues. These works are suitable for readers interested in Japanese history, culture, and economic institutions.