Introduction | p. ix |
Author's note | p. xi |
The making of Japan | p. 1 |
Beginnings | p. 1 |
The land | p. 3 |
Climate | p. 4 |
Origins of the Japanese people | p. 5 |
Unification of Japan | p. 6 |
The rule of the shogun 1185-1868 | p. 10 |
The Meiji restoration and the Meiji era 1868-1912 | p. 18 |
Events leading to World Wars I and II | p. 22 |
The Japanese language | p. 30 |
Is Japanese difficult? | p. 30 |
Who speaks Japanese? | p. 31 |
What are the origins of Japanese? | p. 32 |
Are there other languages in Japan? | p. 32 |
Main features of the Japanese language | p. 33 |
They speak too quickly! | p. 39 |
Written Japanese | p. 39 |
Literature, art and architecture | p. 49 |
Japanese literature (bungaku) | p. 49 |
Japanese art (bijutsu) | p. 56 |
Japanese architecture (kenchiku) | p. 64 |
Music and the performing arts | p. 69 |
Features of Japanese dance and music | p. 69 |
Origins of performing arts | p. 70 |
Noh and kyogen | p. 73 |
Kabuki and bunraku | p. 77 |
Other performing arts | p. 82 |
Modern music | p. 83 |
Modern dance | p. 85 |
Modern theatre | p. 85 |
Religion, customs and festivals | p. 89 |
The coexistence of Shinto and Buddhism | p. 89 |
Shinto | p. 89 |
Buddhism (bukkyo) | p. 93 |
Shinto and Buddhism in Japan today | p. 99 |
Confucianism (jukyo) | p. 100 |
Christianity (kirisutokyo) | p. 101 |
New religions (shinko shukyo) | p. 101 |
Annual events, festivals and public holidays | p. 102 |
And finally ... | p. 105 |
Food and fashion | p. 107 |
Japanese food (washoku) and cookery (ryori) | p. 107 |
Five classic dishes | p. 109 |
Eating out in Japan | p. 112 |
Menrui (noodles) | p. 114 |
Home cooking | p. 114 |
Drinking in Japan | p. 115 |
Fashion and clothing | p. 116 |
Fashion in modern Japan | p. 119 |
Four Japanese designers at the forefront of international fashion | p. 120 |
Creativity and achievements in modern Japan | p. 123 |
Science and technology | p. 123 |
Masukomi (mass media) | p. 126 |
Telecommunications and the internet | p. 134 |
Political structures and institutions | p. 137 |
The Meiji restoration (1868) and political reform | p. 137 |
Democratic government in post-war Japan | p. 139 |
Present system of government | p. 139 |
Political and financial scandals | p. 144 |
Process for political reform begins | p. 147 |
Local government | p. 150 |
Justice and the courts | p. 150 |
The emperor (tenno) | p. 151 |
Kokki (national flag) | p. 152 |
Kokka (national anthem) | p. 152 |
The basics for living | p. 155 |
Education (kyoiku) | p. 155 |
Health (kenko) | p. 162 |
Housing (jutaku) | p. 166 |
Cost of living | p. 169 |
Transport | p. 170 |
Japan at work and play | p. 175 |
Keizai (the economy) | p. 175 |
The employment and pay structure | p. 181 |
A day in the life of a Japanese worker | p. 183 |
Unemployment | p. 184 |
Japan at play | p. 184 |
The Japanese people | p. 195 |
Stereotypes | p. 195 |
The 'uniqueness' of the Japanese | p. 198 |
Social trends | p. 198 |
Social issues | p. 202 |
Social customs and obligations | p. 207 |
Doing business with the Japanese | p. 208 |
Visiting a Japanese home | p. 210 |
Japan in the wider world | p. 214 |
Japanisation | p. 214 |
Internationalisation | p. 215 |
The exoticism of the West | p. 215 |
The exoticism of the East | p. 216 |
Trading with other countries | p. 217 |
The Japanese abroad | p. 219 |
International issues | p. 219 |
... And the future? | p. 225 |
A timeline of Japan's history | p. 227 |
Three Japanese recipes | p. 230 |
Index | p. 234 |
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