A Short History of Japan

「這是一部不知何故竟能同時做到簡明扼要又波瀾壯闊的歷史：任何對這個最迷人國家感興趣的人，這都是必讀之作。」—— 湯姆・荷蘭（Tom Holland）

「要了解［日本］這個引人入勝的社會，克里斯多福・哈丁這本生動的新作《日本簡史》（A Short History of Japan）是絕佳的入門之作……這本書篇幅雖短，但其視野長遠、深刻且豐富。」—— 藍納・米特（Rana Mitter），《History Extra》2025年度歷史好書

在這本讓人極具閱讀樂趣的非凡國家入門書中，克里斯多福・哈丁梳理了日本跨越數千年的豐富歷史。從最早期的沿海聚落開始，歷經佛教的傳播、武士（軍閥）的崛起、西方帶來的機遇與威脅，以及日本自身的帝國建立，哈丁探討了獨特的日本社會與文化是如何被塑造出來的。

憑藉最新的學術研究，《日本簡史》超越了傳統觀光宣傳冊的刻板印象，從日本自身的角度來審視其過去、價值觀與文化——從陶藝、戲劇到飲食與建築。其成果是一部充滿感官與觸覺體驗的歷史，向讀者傳達了許多關於日本獨特本質的內涵。哈丁巧奪天工地展現了這些日常細節如何與更宏大的歷史全景緊密相連，並作為一種價值觀的體現，極其成功地幫助了這個國家應對數個世紀以來的劇烈變革。

'A history that somehow manages to be at once succinct and sweeping: essential reading for anyone interested in this most fascinating of countries' - Tom Holland

'The perfect introduction to [Japan's] intriguing society is Christopher Harding’s lively new A Short History of Japan... The book is short, yes – but its scope is long, deep and rich' - Rana Mitter, History Extra, History Books of the Year 2025

In this enormously enjoyable introduction to a remarkable country, Christopher Harding traces Japan's rich history over several millennia. Beginning with its earliest coastal communities through to the spread of Buddhism, the rise of the warlords, the promise and menace of the West and Japan's own empire-building, Harding explores how a distinctly Japanese society and culture was forged.

Drawing on the latest scholarship, A Short History of Japan moves beyond traditional tourist-board clichés to consider Japan's own view of its past, values and culture, from ceramics and theatre to food and architecture. The result is a sensory, tactile history conveying to the reader much about Japan’s special nature. Harding skilfully shows how these everyday details are intimately bound up with the bigger historical picture, as an expression of the values that have been extraordinarily successful in helping the country to cope with centuries of radical change.