At the easternmost tip of Asia sits an archipelago, or collection of islands, known as Japan. Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu are the four major islands. There are also about 4,000 little islands! Japan’s nearest neighbor on the continent is Siberia, whereas Korea and China are located further south.

Paleolithic times, roughly 38–40,000 years ago, was when the Japanese archipelago’s earliest human settlers were first discovered. The Jmon period, which was distinguished by its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period, which saw the arrival of new Asian inventions.

Japan is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and it has a lengthy, colorful history. The top 15 books on Japanese history are listed below. The top non-fiction works about Japanese history have been compiled.

A History of Japan, George Sansom

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Eminent Japanese historian Sansom has written a three-volume study that covers Japan’s ancient history from the dawn of Japanese civilization to the 19th century.

This book has more social undertones than Samson’s “Short Cultural History of Japan,” which focused more on the various facets of culture. However, the way society was organized, together with the nature of politics and power, would leave you speechless.

Embracing Defeat, John Dower

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This book examines the Second World War from the viewpoint of the defeated, not the victorious. It is also practically a contemporary classic and a Pulitzer Prize winner, with careful and attentive research throughout. The intersection between the East and the West during Japan’s most formative era is the subject of this book.

Lost Japan, Alex Kerr

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The writing of Japanologist Alex Kerr is a careful reflection on the essence of Japanese life. However, Kerr looks to Japanese tradition for comfort while modernity rears its ugly head in Japan, causing nostalgia. After that, this book turns into a history of old Japanese customs that were significant to Japanese history.

Japan Story, Christopher Harding

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This book covers Japan’s recent history from the turn of the 20th century to the present. We see the passage of time through the eyes of Japanese authors, artists, pilots, and even gangsters. Not only for the facts it delivers but also for the method it portrays them, this people’s history is worth reading.

A Brief History of the Samurai, Jonathan Clements

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Without mentioning the mythical warriors known as Samurai, no list of Japanese history books can ever be considered complete. From the broad power structures to the specifics of art and culture, this book in particular presents a thorough history of the warrior case.

A History of Popular Culture in Japan,  E Taylor Atkins

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This book, as its title suggests, traces the development of mass-produced cultural goods and concepts from the seventeenth century to the present. This provides a wholly original take on Japanese history in terms of what was and wasn’t “cool.”

Also, Read 10 Most Powerful Empires In Human History

Japan: A Short Cultural History,  George Sansom

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This is a brief history of the cultural changes in Japan from antiquity to the present, as was already indicated. This book distills a vast history into a condensed, authoritative volume and covers everything from art and architecture to religion and institutions.

Lost Histories,  Kirsten Ziomek

This book examines a sometimes ignored, although equally fascinating, facet of Japanese history. This is Japan’s colonial history. In this book, Kirsten examines how Japan invaded East Asia and the effects of that imperialism on Japan. This book examines history with an emphasis on visual details.

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Japan: A Documentary History, David Lu

From the beginning of Japanese civilization through the Tokugawa era, this is a comprehensive account of Japanese history. Nearly all facets of conventional history are covered, including political, social, economic, religious, and mythological themes. Additionally, the two-volume edition provides a clear yet thorough picture of Japanese history.

The Cambridge History of Japan, Donald Shively, and William McCullough

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One of the most thorough and meticulous analyses of any period in Japanese history may be found in this multi-volume book by reputable historians. However, the typical reader who is interested in the topic could find this a little overwhelming. This would be more suited to historians who wish to go deeper into the subject, such as students and academics.

Bending Adversity, David Pilling

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Between 2001 to 2008, Pilling worked as a foreign reporter for the Financial Times out of Tokyo. Pilling frequently spoke with influential political and cultural personalities when he was in Tokyo. While providing a fascinating historical background, this book focuses more on where Japan is today and where it is going.

Japan Rising, Kume Kunitake

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This condensed version of a five-volume journal covers the Japanese government’s two-year diplomatic mission in 1871. The mission’s objective was to educate Japan about modernization while attempting to renegotiate the unequal treaties that Western powers had imposed on it a decade earlier. This is an interesting read thanks to Kunitake’s vivid descriptions of the locations, people, and cultures he encountered.

The Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang

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One of the most contentious moments in Japanese history is the subject of Chang’s book. Up to 300,000 citizens of Nanjing (sometimes spelled Nanking), China’s former capital city, were slaughtered by Imperial troops between 1937 and 1938. Chang describes the crimes done by the Japanese army with brutal clarity based on in-depth interviews with Japanese, Chinese, and Western eyewitnesses.

The Wages of Guilt, Ian Buruma

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Different psychological and social consequences of Germany and Japan’s defeat in World War II were seen. The superb comparative study by Buruma is a heartbreaking portrayal of the harm that a skewed history can do to a nation and its people.

Japan’s Longest Day, The Pacific War Research Society

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A thorough and thrilling account of the final 24 hours leading up to Japan’s capitulation in August 1945 may be found in Japan’s Longest Day. Written by 14 Japanese historians, it is readable despite its lack of nuance. This book is a great way to get started reading about the mayhem at the end of World War II.

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