Giants of Japan: The Lives of Japan's Greatest Men and Women - Softcover

Weston, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1568363249 ISBN 13: 9781568363240

Publisher: Kodansha USA, 2002

Synopsis

Giants of Japan brings to life fifteen centuries of Japanese history through lively biographical sketches of the great men and women who have shaped this fascinating and complex country. Covering industry, the arts, religion, and politics, the book includes business titans such as Morita Akio, founder of Sony, and Toyoda Eiji, the man behind Toyota's incredible success; creative giants such as writer Mishima Yukio and film director Kurosawa Akira; and historical icons such as Shotoku, the prince who helped bring Buddhism to Japan, and Izumo no Okuni, the actress and dancer who created kabuki theater.

The economies and futures of the West and Japan are now more interdependent than ever, yet Japan remains very much a mystery to many Westerners. The more than forty profiles in this entertaining and enlightening book are essential knowledge about a nation that is a key player on the world stage.

About this title

About the Author:

MARK WESTON has worked as a journalist for ABC News and has written for The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times. He is the author of The Land and People of Pakistan, and a one-man play about George Orwell, The Last Man in Europe. He lives in Armonk, New York.

WALTER MONDALE, who wrote the foreword, is a former vice president of the United States and Ambassador to Japan.

Review:

"A superb new book."-Los Angeles Times"A successful attempt to personalize history."-The Washington Post"Vivid...An excellent introduction to Japanese history."-Foreign Affairs"Enjoyable, informative, and well-written."-Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha "A superb new book."-Los Angeles Times "A successful attempt to personalize history."-The Washington Post "Vivid...An excellent introduction to Japanese history."-Foreign Affairs "Enjoyable, informative, and well-written."-Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha "A superb new book."-Los Angeles Times"A successful attempt to personalize history."-The Washington Post"Vivid...An excellent introduction to Japanese history."-Foreign Affairs"Enjoyable, informative, and well-written."-Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha "A superb new book."-Los Angeles Times "A successful attempt to personalize history."-The Washington Post "Vivid...An excellent introduction to Japanese history."-Foreign Affairs "Enjoyable, informative, and well-written."-Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha "A superb new book."-Los Angeles Times"A successful attempt to personalize history."-The Washington Post"Vivid...An excellent introduction to Japanese history."-Foreign Affairs"Enjoyable, informative, and well-written."-Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha

About this edition

• Publisher: Kodansha USA
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1568363249
• ISBN 13: 9781568363240
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 396