A Short History of Japan

A Short History of Japan is an accessible, wide-ranging account of Japan’s history across several millennia. Christopher Harding begins with the archipelago’s early coastal communities and follows the development of Japanese society through the arrival and influence of Buddhism, the rise of warrior elites and warlords, contact with Western powers, imperial expansion, war, defeat, and modern transformation. Rather than treating history only as a sequence of rulers and wars, Harding connects major political changes to everyday cultural life. He explores how Japanese values and identity have been expressed through ceramics, theatre, food, architecture, religious practice, and social customs, while also showing how Japan has repeatedly adapted to radical change. Published by Pelican in September 2025, the hardback edition is 240 pages. It is intended as a concise, engaging introduction for readers who want historical context for contemporary Japan without reducing the country to tourist clichés or simple stereotypes.