A SAMURAI, SHŌGUN AND ZEN : THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN Clements, Jonathan 1971- creator author. text ja 2017 2017 monographic eng

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288 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates maps and illustration , 21 cm. ASIAN HISTORY. This fascinating history of Japan 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. Stretching for nearly 2000 miles and encompassing almost 7000 islands, Japan has the fourth largest GDP and the tenth largest population in the world. Japan is 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 and an active earthquake zone. Despite a reputation for sprawling cities and cutting-edge technology, seventy-three percent of its land comprises uninhabited mountains and forests. First revealed to the West in the Travels of Marco Polo, Japan was the legendary faraway land defended by the fearsome Kamikaze storm, and ruled by a divine sovereign. adult JONATHAN CLEMENTS Includes bibliographical references and index. Japan History 925 9784805313893 PPAK 201222 20201222103705.0 eng