Japan: a documentary history

An updated and expanded edition of David Lu's acclaimed Sources of Japanese History, this compilation of primary documents presents in a clear and accessible format, with full annotation and incisive commentary by Dr. Lu, readings translated from the original Japanese that cover the full spectrum of political, economic, and diplomatic as well as cultural and intellectual history of pre-modern Japan (volume II covers the modern period). The past indeed is prologue: these documents -- written by Japanese contemporaneous with the events described -- provide insight not only into the past but also into Japan's contemporary civilization. Three major criteria were used in the judgment of which documents to translate: (1) that the selection of documents avoid duplication with other documentary collections as much as possible; therefore, fully three-quarters of the documents presented here are newly translated; (2) that a given document accurately reflect the spirit of the times and the lifestyles of the people of that age; (3) that the emphasis be placed on the development of social, economic, and political institutions. - Back cover.

"An updated and expanded edition of David Lu's acclaimed Sources of Japanese History, this compilation of primary documents presents in a clear and accessible format, with full annotation and incisive commentary by Dr. Lu, readings translated from the original Japanese that cover the full spectrum of political, economic, and diplomatic as well as cultural and intellectual history in a time span that ranges from Japan's mythological beginnings to the present. The past indeed is prologue: these documents - written by Japanese contemporaneous with the events described - provide insight not only into the past but also into Japan's contemporary civilization."--BOOK JACKET.

"An East Gate book."

"Japan: A Documentary History is being published simultaneously in one clothbound edition, which includes the complete text, and two paperback editions: Vol. I: The Dawn of History to the Late Tokugawa Period, and Vol. II: The Late Tokugawa Period to the Present. The complete table of contents and the complete index appear in all three, and the pagination of the paperbacks is sequential." - Volume 2, page vii.

v. 1. The dawn of history to the late Tokugawa Period. Dawn of Japanese history -- The impact of Chinese civilization -- The early Heian Period -- Rise of feudal institutions -- Kamakura Buddhism -- The development of feudal institutions through the Muromachi Period -- From civil wars to unification -- Tokugawa : era of peace -- Intellectual currents in Tokugawa Japan --

v. 2. The late Tokugawa Period to the present. The end of the Tokugawa rule -- Early Meiji political development -- Social and economic development in the Meiji Era -- Taisho democracy -- Rise of ultranationalism and the Pacific War -- Japan under occupation -- Politics and problems of security -- Emergence of an economic superpower -- Heisei : age of uncertainty -- Bridging the past and present -- Appendices. Weights and measures : metric and US equivalents -- Glossary of Japanese terms -- Chronology of Japanese history -- Administrative map of Japan.