Japanese Culture: A Short History [Hardcover]

H. Paul Varley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 1973

1973 1st Ed. Faber & Faber

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A rich, accurate, well-written account of political, philosophical, social, religious, esthetic, artistic, and architectural history." -- Leon A. Serafim, Ohio State University --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 238 pages
• Publisher: Faber and Faber (April 24, 1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571102980
• ISBN-13: 978-0571102983
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,048,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing detail in such a small amount of space, July 3, 2001

By 

Mike Peters (Cardiff, Cardiff Wales) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese Culture (Paperback)

I wasn't sure what to expect when i bought this book - after all the title does seem a little generic and it is a pretty small book, but i was pleasantly surprised. Varley's style is incredibly terse yet still very accessible. He deals with Japanese culture chronologically, giving the reader a clear picture of the state of the country at the time any major cultural events took place, although avoiding any unecessarily long forays into the history of Japan which do not relate to cultural happenings. Overall, an extremely diverse and useful introduction to Japanese culture which could provide a thorough grounding in the subject prior to further study, or equally serve as a useful reference book to anyone with a casual interest in the culture of Japan

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to Japanese history and culture, October 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Japanese Culture (Paperback)

This book is fantastic for a thorough introduction to Japanese culture. It was a pleasure to read. This was the textbook used for my Japanese Life and Culture university class, and I was extremely pleased with it. Varley's writing style is straightforward and extremely interesting. What I especially liked about the book was its mixture of history and all aspects of Japanese culture, from the literature to the art to the religions. I can't recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in learning about Japanese culture.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best introductory books on Japanese Culture, February 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Japanese Culture (Paperback)

If you are looking for good introductory books on Japanese culture, this book is, perhaps, the only book you need. The book is comprised of rich historical surveys of Japanese culture, with many wonderful B&W pictures. The book does not cover about "current" cultural trends in Japan, but it does cover all important cultural foundations which shape today's Japan. I was born and raised in Japan. But I painfully realized the facts that I didn't know much about my own cultural heritage when I took Prof. Varley's class at college. Through his book, I was able to re-discover myself.