Publisher Description

Japan's ancient age was a period of radical and political change during which a Chinese-style empire emerged. This volume of The Cambridge History of Japan spans the beginnings of human existence to the end of the eighth century, focusing on the thousand years between 300 B.C. and 784, the end of the fabulous Nara period. The volume explores this period in four stages: (1) The Yayoi period (to about 250 A.D.) when small kingdoms and kingdom federations accumulated enough power to dispatch diplomatic missions to Korea and China; (2) the Yamato period (to 587) when priestly rulers, having gained economic and military power, conquered most of Japan; (3) the Century of Reform (to 710) when Japanese leaders, pressed by China's expanding T'ang empire, set out to build a strong Chinese-style empire of their own; (4) the Nara period (to 784) when spectacular literary, artistic, architectural, and religious advances were made.

Author Biography

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Table of Contents

Preface; Maps; Chronology; Introduction Delmer M. Brown; 1. The earliest societies in Japan J. Edward Kidder Jr.; 2. The Yamato kingdom Delmer M. Brown; 3. The century of reform Inoue Mitsusada and Delmer M. Brown; 4. The Nara state Naoki Kojiro (translated by Felicia G. Bock); 5. Japan and the continent Okazaki Takashi (translated by Janet Goodwin); 6. Early kami worship Matsumae Takeshi (translated by Janet Goodwin); 7. Early Buddha worship Sonoda Koyu and Delmer M. Brown; 8. Nara economic and social institutions Torao Toshiya (translated by William Wayne Farris); 9. Asuka and Nara culture: literacy, literature, and music Edwin A. Cranston; 10. The early evolution of historical consciousness Delmer M. Brown.

Review

"...the book contains much valuable information..." Journal of Japanese Studies "The editor is to be congratulated on having made available in English essays on a wide spectrum of important aspects of Japan's ancient past. Students of Japanese history and culture will find much to learn from these most informative essays, which represent the latest western and Japanese scholarship." Canadian Journal of History "This is an important and useful contribution to the generalizing literature on early Japan...a solid, well-executed reference volume on Japanese history from earliest times to the late eighth century. Specialists in Japanese history or scholars of any field of study who focus on the ancient period will certainly want to add it to their shelves, but I warmly recommend it as a high-level introduction to the period for non-Japan specialists, as well." Karl F. Friday, JESHO "In the final analysis, Ancient Japan has opened up the early history of the archipelago in unprecedented fashion, and we now have a stable base from which to launch further research. For that, the editor, the contributors, the translators, and the staff of the Cambridge University Press who worked to make this book plausible deserve our hearty thanks." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies

Review Quote

"This is an important and useful contribution to the generalizing literature on early Japan...a solid, well-executed reference volume on Japanese history from earliest times to the late eighth century. Specialists in Japanese history or scholars of any field of study who focus on the ancient period will certainly want to add it to their shelves, but I warmly recommend it as a high-level introduction to the period for non-Japan specialists, as well." Karl F. Friday, JESHO

Promotional "Headline"

Definitive history of Japan from prehistoric times to the end of the eighth century.

Description for Bookstore

Japan's ancient age was a period of radical and political change during which a Chinese-style empire emerged. Volume 1 of The Cambridge History of Japan spans the beginnings of human existence to the end of the eighth century, focusing on the thousand years between 300 BC and 784, the end of the fabulous Nara period when spectacular literary, artistic, architectural and religious advances were made.

Description for Library

Japan's ancient age was a period of radical and political change during which a Chinese-style empire emerged. Volume 1 of The Cambridge History of Japan spans the beginnings of human existence to the end of the eighth century, focusing on the thousand years between 300 BC and 784, the end of the fabulous Nara period when spectacular literary, artistic, architectural and religious advances were made.

Details