Japanese History

[Bobtheduck]

Are there reader friendly, balanced accounts of Japanese History... I'm not into history, but I know if want to become part of such a heavily homogeneous society, I have to be "more Japanese" than any of the Japanese I meet in order to make up for being white...

I know it will never completely change my status, but it is a good idea to understand the history of where you are going, and Japan is slowly becoming less homogeneous... I don't do well with history, though... Dates annoy the crap out of me and, yes, names are sort of difficult to remember, but I'd like to make the effort with Japanese history... The best would be books that portray the Japanese history ACCURATELY in novelized format. Is there anything like this?

[Mr. SmartyPants]

but I know if want to become part of such a heavily homogeneous society, I have to be "more Japanese" than any of the Japanese I meet in order to make up for being white...

Uhm... what?

[Fish and Chips]

Double what?

[samuraidragon]

Try National Geographic's Japan.

http://www.bookcloseouts.com/default.asp?Ntk1=Default&Ntt1=japan&Ntx1=matchall&Nsl=0&Ix=1&R=9780792275633S&Rt=300&Nty1=1

[mitsuki lover]

It depends on what part of Japanese history you are most interested in.One interesting book I would recommend is a biography of a half-white/half-native American who 'smuggled' himslef into Japan a few years before Commodore Dewey's fleet arrived.
It deals with how the Japanese of the era dealt with foreigners and goes a little into the period's xenophobia.
I think it's called:A NATIVE AMERICAN IN THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN.

[Mave]

Bob probably meant that in order for him to understand what it's like to be Japanese, he has to put in extra effort (aka more than the average Japanese).....because he's not Japanese. I might reword that a little bit though, Bob. LOL

I'm afraid I don't have much to help you with since I'm not studying Japanese history or culture extensively. However, if I do get any useful material from a future missions trip, I'll share it with you.

That's interesting. I never thought of Japan as heavily homogeneous.

[mitsuki lover]

My bad it was actually:A NATIVE AMERICAN IN THE LAND OF THE SHOGUN.
The name of the book I was referring to.It also has to deal a bit with early northwest American history,and history of western Canada because the subject
was born and grew up in the early American Pacific Northwest(his mother was a bona fide Indian princess of an Oregon tribe)before being sent for education in
Canada.