A review by latika_ra
Japan: A Short History by Mikiso Hane

3.0

Whilst not the most gripping of historical reads, Japan: A Short History provides a detailed overview of Japanese history up to the mid 1990s. At times, I found this book surprisingly refreshing, especially as Mikiso Hane clearly put great time and effort in highlighting those who are far too often written out of history - women, agricultural workers, the urban poor, and immigrants. This book doesn't really try and go too deep under the surface with its historical analysis and the English translation at times is clunky and unclear. Nonetheless, I'd recommend this book for anyone who wants a basic history of Japan with no exoticising and very little exclusion.