How did the inhabitants of several small islands in the Pacific become the worlds first nonWestern industrialised nation The answer is found in the fascinating story of Japans political and social history. This narrative chronicles Japanese history from earliest settlement to the present. It details the establishment of imperial rule under the Yamato clan the transfer of power from emperor to shogun supreme military leader and the Edo period of Japanese isolationism. It also relates the industrial development of the Meiji Restoration the devastating results of World War II and Japans remarkable recovery to become a democracy as well as an economic superpower. The book is the perfect introduction to this nation for students travellers businesspeople and all curious readers.