Japanese A Cultural Portrait

In eleven informal essays, The Japanese: a Cultural Portrait explores the character of Japan and its people.

Once famous for its "quaint charm", Japan is now strikingly western in appearance. Its rapid ascension to world prominence, many Westerners forget that Japanese habits, fears, and values are rooted in centuries of feudal agrarianism.

This Japanese culture and history book reminds us that although the Japanese are capable of accepting enormous change, they can also be resolutely determ...