Victoria Levchenko’s Reviews > Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan > Status Update

Very useful, especially if you lack visual familiarity with the time period in China, Korea, and Japan like I do.

Mostly a play by play of major events, from financial crises to military beats in “Manchuria.” Extremely helpful to understanding the Japanese wartime art exhibits I saw. Also puts several social trends in context for understanding ww2 and postwar Japan (especially the literary movements).