New book condenses Japanese history in 50,000 words

A new book uses a mere 50,000 words to delve into 2,000 years of Japan’s rich civilization. The strength of Lesley Downer’s The Shortest History of Japan, Nikkei wrote, lies in exploring how the country’s resilience and age-old dilemmas can inform today’s world.

She manages to weave a comprehensive and colorful narrative of Japan’s complicated geopolitics, food, religion, and gender roles. The book could not be more perfectly timed, Nikkei noted, given Japan’s definitive bounce back into the global consciousness.