{"product_id":"brief-history-of-japan-samurai-shogun-and-zen-the-extraordinary-story-of-the-land-of-the-rising-sun","title":"A Brief History of Japan","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a harbinger of post-industrial decline.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eAmong the chapters in this Japanese history book are:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe Way of the Gods: Prehistoric and Mythical Japan\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eA Game of Thrones: Minamoto vs. Taira\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eTime Warp: 200 Years of Isolation\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe Stench of Butter: Restoration and Modernization\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe New Breed: The Japanese Miracle\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Unity Books","offers":[{"title":"Brief History of Japan : Samurai, Shogun and Zen: the Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun","offer_id":46473141616837,"sku":null,"price":33.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0625\/6679\/3413\/files\/978-4-8053-1389-3.jpg?v=1782857790","url":"https:\/\/unitybooks.myshopify.com\/products\/brief-history-of-japan-samurai-shogun-and-zen-the-extraordinary-story-of-the-land-of-the-rising-sun","provider":"Unity Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}