Japan: Pearls of History and Culture

The homeland of sakura and anime, a ultra-modern country where cleanliness reigns, the fastest trains run, and gigantic volcanoes slumber — this is how the Japanese archipelago is seen today. A country of thousands of islands, Japan has long been... a mystery to Europeans. How did the first Japanese find themselves on the islands? Who really stood behind the emperors and shoguns of the past? What do the Japanese believe in — and do they believe in anything at all? Why was Japan closed off from the outside world for more than two centuries? In this book, resembling an exciting adventure novel, Japanese culture expert Leslie Downer, who has lived in the country for over ten years, answers many questions. You will meet the shaman queen Himiko, poet Basho, artists Utamaro and Hokusai, and other famous Japanese — people who made Japan what we know it as today.
«This book is the story of a small country on the very edge of the world that managed to avoid colonization and overcome the devastating consequences of World War II, and it not only was able to recover but also to achieve success and prosperity while preserving its unique character and culture» (Leslie Downer).