The Shortest History of Japan: From Mythical Origins to Pop Culture Powerhouse―The Global Drama of an Ancient Island Nation

Shortest History

by Lesley Downer

Discover the aesthetic traditions, political resilience, and modern economic might of this singular island nation.

Zen, haiku, martial arts, sushi, anime, manga, film, video games . . . Japanese culture has long enriched our Western way of life. Yet from a Western perspective, Japan remains a remote island country that has long had a complicated relationship with the outside world.

Japan—an archipelago strung like a necklace around the Asian mainland—is considerably farther from Asia than Britain is from Europe. The sea has provided an effective barrier against invasion and enabled the culture to develop in unique ways. During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shoguns successfully closed the country to the West. Then, Japan swung in the opposite direction, adopting Western culture wholesale. Both strategies enabled it to avoid colonization—and to retain its traditions and way of life.

A skilled storyteller and accurate historian, Lesley Downer presents the dramatic sweep of Japanese history and the larger-than-life individuals—from emperors descended from the Sun Goddess to warlords, samurai, merchants, court ladies, women warriors, geisha, and businessmen—who shaped this extraordinary modern society.

The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.

Genres: History, Japan, Nonfiction, Travel, Audiobook, Japanese History, Historical

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2024

About the author

I write historical fiction set in Japan - women’s untold stories, largely true and based on meticulous and detailed research, though primarily, of course, good yarns. I’ve just finished The Shogun’s Queen, the fourth of The Shogun Quartet, four novels set in the nineteenth century during the tumultuous fifteen years when Japan was convulsed by civil war and transformed from rule by the shoguns into a society that looked to the west.
Preorder: http://bit.ly/TheShogunsQueen
The second, The Last Concubine, was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2009 and translated into 30 languages. The other two novels are The Courtesan and the Samurai and The Samurai’s Daughter. My non-fiction on Japan includes Geisha: The Remarkable Truth Behind the Fiction and Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha who Seduced the West. I’m also a journalist and travel writer, give lectures and teach Creative Writing at City University in London.

Reviews

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 2 out of 5]

A textbook for adults, for the dutiful reader who intends to visit Japan soon, or wants to fill gaps in their education. After a lot of difficulty finding any books about Japanese history in English for a general audience—especially ones including the medieval period, not just 1850 on—I settled on this, which does indeed provide an overview of all of it from prehistoric times. And it basically did what I wanted—I now know the Heians from the Tokugawas, who the shoguns were and what the Meiji “Restoration” was—though I didn’t enjoy a minute of it; it’s as bland and dry and stripped-down as any textbook I ever read in grade school, all the reasons I never enjoyed history as a kid. As an adult who’s now read a lot of popular history and enjoys the subject, I know there must be fascinating stories behind these brief statements:

“Then [Yoshimitsu] persuaded the Southern emperor to abdicate in favor of the Northern, solving at a stroke the issue of the Northern and Southern courts.”

“One day, ten years after the war had started, the Yamana side put down their weapons and went home. The following day, the Hosokawa did the same.”

“Six months later, Emperor Kōmei died of smallpox, almost certainly murder.”

Sadly, we don’t get them here. Being the “shortest” history only leaves room for names and basics of major historical events and the broadest generalizations, no intriguing detail or fun or surprising stories or any analysis on the author’s part. I’d happily have read a book twice as long that included all that stuff—while short, this one is too boring to read fast anyway! But in fairness, it’s probably not trying to be engaging, and if you’re looking for a comprehensive overview from prehistory right up to 2023, this book provides it.

[Casey Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely wanted to read this as a primer for japans last 500 years. Tokugawa shogunate? Hideyoshi? Ieyasu? Nobunaga? Meiji restoration? All that good stuff. I feel at least literate enough now to understand all these people and events.
It's short alright, and maybe the ww2 era is a little too short here. The prose can be a little grating at times, stop using the word "swashbuckling"! But I'm glad I read it. 3.5 stars.

[Patrick Tullis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great overview of Japanese History that can be read in a short time. The book does not go into too much detail but does give one a nice overview of the subject. The writing is easy to read and process. I learned a few things and relearned some others. Check this book out if you are at all interested in Japanese history. This book has many layers and gives the reader multiple additional sources to explore, if interested. This concise, short book has to be difficult to write, but I am thankful the author took the time to do it.

I plan to read six books about Japan in 2024. This is the third book I have read about Japan so far this year. I am almost finished with the fourth book (it’s more academic thus taking longer). I plan to read the 2001 translation of Tales of Genji as the fifth book and The Myths of Japan as the final book.

[Alejandro Paulovitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't been reading much this month as projects and exams are really piling on, I read this book as I am a fan of "popular history books" which you can read in a couple of days, just to let your mind have some bit sized information, but without numbing your brain.
The book itself had some boring feminist passages and overall the book reads like "popular history with a dose of feminism". It isn't liberal historiography but it is a boring perception of Asian history through a Buddhist prism. A problem when you combine Western and Asian into one.
Overall, not great, very biased to some stuff and deliberately left out other things which I found necessary.

[David George · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.6

Comprehensive

[Haydn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive although nowhere nearly as well written as Linda Javin’s Shortest History of China. The author’s prose is somewhat inconsistent in style and often jumps back and forth between dates, making things more confusing in an already complicated history. I found Tokugawa Ieyasu’s tactics for uniting Japan pretty interesting especially after watching Shogun.

Might try to read the Murakami book on the Aum Shinrikyo sarin gas attacks next - finally!

[Michael Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is exactly what it says on the cover: this is the shortest history of Japan. Which is not a criticism because that's what I was looking for and what I was expecting going into this.

I appreciated that a healthy amount of time was dedicated to Japan from prehistory up through the sixteenth century instead of just beginning at, "and then the Europeans showed up!" And special attention was paid to specific buildings/temples/castles that I hope to visit on my trip to Japan next year, so the additional context is already getting me more excited to go. WWII was glossed over concerningly fast even for a book of this tempo, but I liked that it went well past the Plaza Accords and Fukushima to discuss the 2021 Olympics and Shinzo Abe getting got with The Contraption™.

Worth picking up if you're like me and enjoy having a cursory knowledge of many different things, but if you're looking for something with more meat on the bones, you're gonna be disappointed.

[Coral Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very accessible, whistle stop tour of Japan's expansive history.

I've seen complaints that it skims over important moments, but I think that's people being particularly dense about a book called "The Shortest History of Japan". If you want something indepth, don't pick a book that's not even 250 pages long.

[Dzvenyslava Petryshyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

В принципі цієї книжки цілком достатньо щоб розібратися загально з історією Японії.
Мені як людині, яка читала це чисто для ознайомлення, було доволі цікаво, хоча моментами страшенно занудно (як і на уроках історії в школі) на місцях де одні імператори замінювали інших і т.д. Це все очевидно не запамʼяталося. Найцікавішим було 20-21 століття, бо модна робити паралелі з тим що відбувалося в світлі. Стало зрозуміліше про Перл Харбор і стосунки з США. Також більш зрозуміло стосунки з іншими азійськими країнами.
Читала цю книжку після книги «Найкоротша історія Китаю» і це було доволі цікаво ці історії простиставляти, бо вони виявилися абсолютно різними у двох сусідніх країн. Японія власне унікальна своєю «острівністю» і тим що за весь цей час не була колонізованою і мала доволі багато «мирних періодів», якими мало які країни можуть похвалитися.

[Gen Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

true to its name - each section was very short. But I guess that’s how you cover 13000 years in 200 pages! learned some interesting things

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super livre !! À lire sans modération avant d'aller au Japon pour avoir des repères mentaux historiques et culturels!!

[kla☾ ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

TAKE ME BACK TO JAPAN NOWWW

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
A little bit dry at times and some sections feel too short in comparison to others but otherwise enjoyed getting an introduction to the whole of Japanese history. An ideal way for newcomers to get to know how Japan came to be.

[Rodrigo Infante · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title suggests, it offers a great summary of Japan’s most important historical events and figures. By definition, it leaves considerable gaps in context, causes, and consequences. Still, the topic itself makes it a fascinating and smooth read.

[Anjali Anil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of sushi, anime and those gorgeous traditional dresses 🎎 that make me want to twirl like I’m in a historical drama. Japan is one country that has always been high on my travel list, so when I spotted The Shortest History of Japan by Lesley Downer, I instantly thought Yesss , this is my pre-trip homework! (but the fun kind).

So I went in expecting a dense pile of dates and events (because history trauma from school still exists and tbh I’m very very bad at remembering dates 😅), but Lesley Downer writes like a storyteller. It didn’t feel like “mugging up” facts instead it felt like being guided through Japan’s epic journey.
From emperors claiming descent from the Sun Goddess, to fearless women warriors, graceful geisha, cunning warlords, and clever merchants who built a nation unlike any other.

At one point, I actually paused and imagined strolling through Edo-period streets, kimono swishing, cherry blossoms falling and eating some amazing Japanese cuisine but then remembered I was still on my couch 🥺…

What amazed me most was Japan’s transition between isolation and openness closing itself off completely during the Edo period, then suddenly embracing the West, yet still guarding its traditions like treasures.

I read this book very slowly, not because it was heavy, but because I wanted to savour every detail.

Now, when I finally land in Japan, I won’t just be a tourist snapping pictures, but I’ll be someone who understands the stories behind the temples, the tea ceremonies, and yes… even the sushi 🍣🇯🇵😎

So my final verdict for this book is : Fascinating, vivid, and effortlessly readable. This book will make you fall in love with Japan before you even set foot there.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shortest History of Japan by Lesley Downer publishes September 10th with Old Street Publishing and has understandably received great acclaim, with Library Journal describing it as ‘a delightful and illuminating read… Downer’s book covers prehistoric times through the present-day… Essential reading for both general audiences and scholars’. Back in 2016 I read The Shogun’s Queen by Lesley Downer and was absolutely blown away by the level of detail and how immersive a reading experience it was. Based on a true story, with most of the characters being real, Lesley Downer wove fact and fiction creating an exquisite piece of work.

In The Shortest History of Japan Lesley Downer takes the reader on an extraordinary journey to Japan, through the annals of time, from approximately 400BCE right up to the present day in less than 300 pages. It’s a testament to her writing that she has captured so much information in such a concise and educational manner, introducing the reader to this country that has the most turbulent and fascinating story to tell across the centuries.

The book is divided into thirteen clearly defined chapters as we travel through the ages. These chapters are intertwined with maps depicting Japan and little gems of stories highlighting certain historical events, people and traditions. There are many many names littered throughout this book and, as a relative newcomer to Japanese history, the majority were unfamiliar to me, but their stories have a fairy-tale quality which I thoroughly enjoyed (and I don’t mean Disney!). Warriors, emperors, shoguns and samurai were fearless in battle with many surviving for only a brief time as they fought off dangerous enemies protecting what they believed in. There was a clear division in Japanese society between the haves and the have-nots and over the centuries this caused much tension and unrest. As Japan fought to maintain its identity blocking any western influence, it also battled internally with maintaining peace and stability.

Lesley Downer has written a compelling book that is well-paced and very engaging. She explores the vastness of Japanese history incorporating their complex feudal period, the Meiji Restoration, Abenomics and more. For anyone with little or no prior knowledge of Japan’s history, Lesley Downer’s explanations, with clear and concise summaries, allow the reader to grasp the key events and figures that have shaped this fascinating nation. Understanding how the past influences contemporary culture and society helps readers appreciate the staggering shifts and social changes that have occurred within Japan across generations.

The Shortest History of Japan is an outstanding resource with a narrative that is enriched by very vivid descriptions and a wealth of information that is sure to delight all with a curiosity to know more about this island nation of legends and contrasts. A literary gem, The Shortest History of Japan, is an illuminating and meticulously researched book, one that’s accessible to all and is an exceptional reading experience.

[Clare Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having never read anything of Japanese history or culture before, i spotted this in a local bookstore and thought i would give it a go.
So glad i did! The book covers Japan from prehistoric times to present day and is nicely sectioned into eras so that you can read it as a whole - as i did - or dip into particular eras of interest. This will also prove useful as i would now love to read more in depth certain eras and figures, i think most other readers will find this useful too.
This book is an overview but the detail (and obvious painstaking research) is amazing, managing to inform without becoming confusing or boring.
This is the first book i have read by the author and found Lesley Downer's novelist style very entertaining and easy to read - i will certainly read more of her Fiction and Non-Fiction books.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to cram thousands of years into 200+ pages without missing a lot, although this book does a decent job of providing a quick overview. It focuses mostly on political and military history - the forces that shape a nation most dramatically over shorter periods time. I wish the author included more cultural history. Elements of art, music, society and family life were asides to the "grand narrative." I most enjoyed reading about Japanese prehistory (the Jomon and Yokai), the cultural flowering during Heian and Edo periods, and details about the various earthquakes and 2011 tsunami (frightening). Names of emperors and rulers do not stick in my mind, so I basically retained none of that. This book is useful for someone, like myself, who knows close to nothing about Japanese history but wants to develop a basic understanding.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise book on the history of Japan for everyone who wants to quickly read up. The first half, however, reads like a long list of names and even though it is natural for the book to skim through the centuries for this part, it does not benefit its readability. The second half (from the Edo-period on) is significantly better, where the daily whereabouts of the common folk is also described, instead of solely descriptions of the intrigue happening in aristocratic halls. I’d recommend this book when traveling to Japan or if interested in its history, though it might not be that suitable for someone who is not that into history, as it sometimes assumes some very specific background knowledge on world history.

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, definitely short history of the nation of Japan, from its origin mythology through a few years before publication. The majority of the book covers the period before 1900, when Japan was ruled by an emperor or local military leaders called shoguns; this form of government went back and forth several times, before the military essential took control in the early 1900's, leading to a vast expansion of Japan's war-making capability, resulting in World War II, which devastated the nation.

[Corinne Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - I can appreciate the difficulty of fitting the entire history of a country into 225 pages, but it does make the book jumpy or hard to follow at times. It did do what I wanted it to do, however, which was give me a baseline understanding of Japanese history as a jumping off point for further reading.

[Natasha Salmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and comprehensive but not as well written as the Shortest History of England (written by someone else, can’t remember the name). While the England Shortest History sometimes overemphasised certain themes as universal, it created a cohesive narrative and added a solid “so-what” which this book lacks.

This book had almost no overt opinion, analysis or cohesive narrative, which made Japan’s fascinating history come off as a bit flat.

Still, as someone who only had a very high level understanding of Japanese history, mostly from the Chinese and Western perspective, this book was super interesting.

[Ben Causey]

The writing is serviceable, not too dry or too flamboyant, and the narrative links are well explained. Chunking out the various periods is well done and each one is given its fair share. Good, not great.

Qualified recommendation: This is a somewhat niche book. If you want something in between the Wikipedia entry and a full-blown history textbook, give it a read.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful primer of the long and interesting story of Japan. Nonfiction, very concise and very readable long history of the Japanese homeland experience. Very informative narrative of interactions with the Europeans, and the ‘lucky breaks’ in succumbing the world invasions of the Mongolians. Most importantly is the fascinating development of the Japanese society for over the last two thousand years.

Readable and highly interesting…..

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative little book attempting to give a broad overview of Japanese Histories and Periods.
I really liked learning about Yoshitsune, the Mongols and Kamikaze, Roaring 20s, and natural calamities that have struck Japan over the millennia. Often times the author would tell of a great shrine build 1000 years ago and I would realize that I had been there!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title does not lie, and if you go into this expecting in-depth analysis and detail, more the fool you. Good for anyone that wants a first taste or a refresher.

[Mathias · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the name implies, it's a very short history of Japan, with each chapter covering an overview of each era. It's written in an easily digestible language, and giving enough information to encourage the reader to delve deeper if something sparks an interest. Personally, it gave me lots of topics I'd love to delve deeper, and the bibliography at the end gave me more sources to check out.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Degelijk overzicht van de geschiedenis van Japan.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating from start to finish.

The histories, intrigues, personalities, frailties, closures, disasters, quirks and cultures have enlivened within me a desire to visit Japan, when previously id no desire to do so.

[Margaret Doyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turns out I’m not really a big history girl