Japan: Its History and Culture

by W. Scott Morton, J. Kenneth Olenik, Marius B. Jansen (Foreword)

Once a star of postwar industrial production and methods,Japan has encountered serious trouble with market forces in recent years. Social changes and departures from tradition are becoming more common in this conservative country. The revised edition of the popular work, Its History and Culture, Fourth Edition , documents and explains these changes. Seamlessly blending current events, politics, and cultural elements, the authors provide a riveting account of a nation often misunderstood by the West.

Genres: History, Japan, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature, Japanese History, Travel, Cultural

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1970

Reviews

[Andre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm divided in my opinions on this book. On one hand it's very informative about the history of Japan (about which I have a limited knowledge) but on the other it reads like an old book (in its structure, limited views and presentation). I also found it to be out-of-touch with the present with the "current view" dating from 2003.

[Gary Inbinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I first read this book about 30 years ago. It's a well-written, well-researched concise history of Japan. My 1984 print edition includes interesting and useful illustrations, glossary, chronology and an extensive selected reading list.

[SA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid history except for the fact that half the population at any given time in this book is effectively nonexistent. For a text updated so recently this is a rather egregious oversight.

[La Nomada · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth edition, which is apparently the most recently updated one and it kind of shows. The viewpoints of the author were clear. I found that this book helped me understand many of the basics of Japanese History and Culture. I would, however, recommend this book only to people who are extremely interested in Japanese history and want to see how perspectives have changed. As I write this it is currently 2024, this book was updated in 2005, it is behind on ideas and differences in culture by 20 years. Some of the things mentioned in this book may be no longer applicable or appropriate insights.

[Harrison Bosque · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Morton’s book on China in my opinion. Weighed down by the fact that a significant chunk of the book is written about “contemporary” Japanese culture, which is now fairly outdated as the book is from 2005. Still a solid overview if you’re particularly interested in Japan.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Japan: Its History and Culture (Paperback)
This book was written by W. Scott Morton and J. Kenneth Olenik.

Critically Inaccurate Information.

I never want to purchase anything from these authors again. The
material in the book contains very incorrect and slanderous information, as well as a failure to provide relevant information concerning Nichiren Daishonin and Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, which the author references and has a lot to say about it, although it is obvious that he must not have researched it and threw together misinformation into the book only to write a book. I know this for a fact because I am a member of the Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, which is True Mahayana Buddhism, with the Head Temple based in Japan. I have been to the Head Temple twice before, and to the temples in the United States, several times since joining in 1984. The Nichiren Shoshu is NOT political, as the authors present in their book. And Nichiren Daishonin was not political, either, as the authors present. Nor do the authors present the material in a responsible and informative manner, which would be the only suitable manner, especially for persons of their standing in the educational field. To understand the times and the culture of the country at the time, and the circumstances that Nichiren Daishonin was contending with, and to obtain CORRECT information on the actual beliefs and practice, the only reliable source would be the Nichiren Shoshu temples themselves.

The Soka Gakkai International was previously a lay organization of the Nichiren Shoshu, organized by a teacher in Japan during the World War II turmoil and oppression. This is the organization which later became headed by Daisaku Ikeda, and is no longer in any way connected with the Nichiren Shoshu. Their practices do not follow the teachings and the lineage of the Nichiren Shoshu, and the SGI is also very politically involved, and greedy. The SGI was kicked out of the Nichiren Shoshu, and this split was very well known to the government officials here in the good o'le USA, as well as other countries. This Buddhism came to the USA in the early 1960s, and there were annual World Peace Parades in which USA politicians sometimes attended and well-known, award-winning entertainers that were members of the NSA-SGI (which it was at that time) also participated in. There is no excuse for someone so closely associated with and involved with, the educational system to write a book with such blatantly false or misleading information.

Considering the interwoven relationships of religion and politics, and their supportive or non-supportive roles in research, science, medical, etc. fields, and their overrall effect on influencing societal behaviors, this is an extremely serious error of the authors.
Not only am I so very dissatisfied with the information they presented, I am also very dissatisfied with their presentation of it. Based on this, I cannot trust their other information either, especially in reference to comments concerning the corruption of U.S. contractors, and the Japanese government, and similiar topics. Even if the information presented on those topics were correct, my question then becomes "Who is the corruptive force behind it all?". I refuse to provide support of any kind to the authors.

[Shelby Bethke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty unimpressed with this book. It's relatively short for a history text, ~300 pages. To include the entire history of Japan in that small a space resulted in more of an outline, then any real description. This book would be alright for the mildly curious of Japanese culture, but anyone looking for more details, or has already read something about Japan before, should look for a text with more depth.

[Phil (フィル) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text is a great introductory read for anyone interested in Japanese history and culture. Easily accessible by all, it should prove a gentle gateway into the field and provided a decent footing for those new to the subject material.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book helpful as an overview, but found my self questioning some of the authors conclusions. I know history can be subjective, but I wasn’t always completely convinced that these authors were drawing conclusions that people would agree with today. Some of the language was out of date.

[Justin Hughey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad book. It was very informative, but instead of history the book focuses a lot of the economics of Japan. All of which is fine, but I expected more history.

[AltLovesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book provides a good HIGH LEVEL overview of Japanese history and culture. Because the book clocks in at just shy of 300 pages, everything covered is covered briefly but informatively. Japan is complex, and this book covers content a mile wide, but only an inch deep from the surface. It doesn't read like a textbook, and was extremely interesting from my perspective. I also appreciated that it includes a section for "modern" Japan, something that is lacking in other books.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a BRIEF OVERVIEW of Japan's extremely complex history and culture, and to use it as a stepping stone to more comprehensive books on narrower subjects.

[Павел Качнов · Rating 5 out of 5]

Japan: Its History and Culture" by W. Scott Morton was the perfect quick read before my trip to Japan. It covers Japan’s history and culture in a straightforward way. The book goes through Japan's ancient times up to its modern achievements, touching on everything from art and religion to samurais and technology.

I liked how the book was organized and its focus on important events and cultural aspects. Reading it will make my trip more meaningful because I shall appreciate the places and people more deeply.

In short, this book is a great starter on Japan's vast history. It’s informative, engaging, and really opens up the depth of Japan's culture and history in a concise way.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very brief summary of key events that happened in Japan's history. Like summarizing generations of political dominance in one sentence brief. I also find that more and more religious bias came forth in the Westernization chapters, particularly how the Buddhists were cult-like/fanatics, while the Christians were dedicated in their faith. I must agree with another reviewer that there were lots of economics in this book and less about how the people really lived at the time. There are likely better texts to base your course off of as I can say I was not a fan of analyzing this book.

[Maarten Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japan is a fascinating country and its journey to get to its current form full of surprises. I enjoyed the comprehensive and historical angle which makes you see links between religion, asian ties, government and society. Despite the sometimes descriptive, factual style, I have enjoyed the level of detail and broadness of topics. I really feel I understand Japan more. And now I can also add my own experienced in the mix after traveling there for over a month

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a student of Japanese history, but rather someone who is planning a trip and found a brief overview of the history of Japan very helpful and engaging. Obviously over a thousand years of history and culture cannot be fully developed in 300 pages, but this was the perfect read for what I wanted at this time.

[Wes Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thorough overview of Japan's history and culture, through about 2004 (in the fourth edition that I read.) I have had this book since college and probably read excerpts for my Japanese college classes, but finally read the whole book. While it is informative, it is also a bit dry at times.

[Alan McBride]

This book packs a great deal of information into a small volume. At only 300 pages and change, it is surprisingly informative. A must-read for anyone who wants to visit Japan. This will help you go as a more informed individual.

[Irene]

Not going to give star rating since it was a class assigned read for my pre-Japan departure BUT, definitely a very thorough and DENSE information book.

[ahrya · Rating 2 out of 5]

university — what else

[Jianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really read a lot of history texts so I was skeptical when I started this book as to whether or not I'd like it, considering how complicated and dense Japanese history can be. I found it to be a good overview, with enough detail to keep it an interesting read. Toward the end of the book there were some chapters dedicated to post-war Japan's politics, economic developments, and culture. I found the passages about the Japanese economy and some differences between the Japanese business culture and the American culture insightful. I was somewhat disappointed with the brief section on (modern) Japanese culture toward the end, as it was an extreme overview, and rather than describing movements named a few notable authors/artists and their works. Overall I would recommend this book to people interested in a well-written introduction to and overview of Japanese history. If you're reading it primarily for information about the culture, there are better books that delve into Japanese etiquette and the Japanese arts. For those who are interested in Japanese literature, a better introduction would probably be an anthology of Japanese writers, such as The Oxford Book of Japanese Short Stories.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Japan: Its History and Culture is scant little book coming in a little over 300 pages. There's no way that a book of this length could the full history of a civilization as ancient, rich, and as varied as Japan. However, for a brief and comprehensive introduction to the major trends and themes that shaped the Japanese culture from initial tribes the first settled the Island nation to the modern day.

Because this book is covering so much history in such a small number of pages, very few events are written about in detail. There is considerable discussion about the historical evolution of the cultural aspects of Japanese civilization (as opposed to the political or military), which is exactly what is I a novice was looking for and will hopefully provide a good foundation from which to start learning more about Japan. But more importantly it will and already has influenced the way I view the fictional works of Japanese authors.

[Ioana Lily Balas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting yet difficult read, mainly due to names of historical characters that I am not familiar with. I thought that throughout the history chapters a lot of events could have been described in more depth, but I can also see how with such a complex history as Japan’s it could easily turn into 5 volumes. I particularly enjoyed the last quarter of the book which deals mainly with post-WW2 aspects, including culture and economy today, but since the book only seemed to cover until year 2003, it felt like it was missing some things... Enjoyable read for a first impression history lesson of Japan.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been looking for awhile now for a book on Japanese history that wasn't boring or long winded. This book, while not as descriptive as I would have liked, fit the bill. It's a good start for someone looking to start delving into Japanese history. However, it didn't go into as much detail as I would have preferred but I figured that would be the case by the length. It's a good start though and I enjoyed it.

[Jason Hebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to Japanese history, it is exactly that, an introduction. Morton did a superb job of covering the entire history of Japan though it was, out of necessity, done at a relatively superficial level. It has certainly wet my appetite for a more in depth look at all parts of the Japanese history and culture, just as an introduction should.

[Elaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was ultimately disappointed in this book but it honestly isn't the fault of the book. I was wanting more of a tome of social mores and cultural anthropology and less one of the history of Japan. My bad.

[David de Beer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool book, exactly what I was looking for.
Written in a very engaging and comfortable style, it's a brief blitz through Japanese history with an emphasis on the cultural and imperial dynastic developments.

[Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a brief look at japanese history and culture (as indicated by the title) but it's not really specific about much, so if you want great detail about something, it's probably best to look elsewhere

[Cindy Dracula · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a newbie to Japanese culture and this was information overload presented in pages stuffed to bursting with small font. I couldn't keep names straight or time periods. Good source for information but most of it faded from my memory after reading each chapter.

[A.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice 300 page synopsis of Japan's history, complete with glossary and chronology. Sometimes a bit confusing as the authors shift back and forth among several time periods. Worth the time.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tends to merely gloss over certain parts of history, and the bad part is that many of the events are quite important.