The Japanese

A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020
'Mightily impressive ... a marvellous read' Sunday Times From the acclaimed author of Japan Story, this is the history of Japan, distilled into the stories of twenty remarkable individuals.
The vivid and entertaining portraits in Chris Harding's enormously enjoyable new book take the reader from the earliest written accounts of Japan right through to the life of the current empress, Masako. We encounter shamans and warlords, poets and revolutionaries, scientists, artists and adventurers - each offering insights of their own into this extraordinary place.
For anyone new to Japan, this book is the ideal introduction. For anyone already deeply involved with it, this is a book filled with surprises and pleasures.

Christopher Harding is the bestselling author of Japan Story, The Japanese, The Light of Asia and A Short History of Japan. He teaches at the University of Edinburgh and frequently broadcasts on Radio 3 and Radio 4. He also writes the Japan and the World Substack, about Japanese history and culture. He is on Instagram and YouTube: @ChrisHardingJapan.