This is a beautiful book on the history of Japan. When I looked at this book, it was because I was looking for a history of Japan (I love studying it), but I didn't want anything huge or too dry (though a little bit of that is to be expected in nearly any history book). So I picked up this volume, and was surprisingly pleased. This version of Japan's history is fairly conscise (only a couple hundred pages), and yet manages to give a pretty detailed rundown of the history. There are larger, even more detailed books on Japan's history (READ: George Samson), but this a wonderful, wonderful primer if you want to have a basic understanding of Japanese history. It goes all the way from ancient days (the Ainu and the migration of today's Japanese into Japan) up to post-World War II and present day. The book is also fairly current (only two or three years old). If you're looking for an history which will provide you with a comprehension of Japanese history in fairly short order, buy this book. Also handy as a reference for people studying Japan. ~