Japan

Why Japan Stopped Fighting

After a disastrous Second World War, Japan abolished its armed forces and embraced pacifism. With renewed tensions in East Asia, can it last?

The Rise of Japan

When it comes to rapid world-changing events, the Meiji Restoration has few equals.

The Map: Kyoto, c.1626

A map of the Japanese city from the Edo period was one of the earliest produced for general use. 

Japan’s Charles Dickens

The visit of Natsume Sōseki to London at the turn of the 20th century suggested ways of successfully combining western industrialism with ‘Japanese Spirit’.

The Sinking of Japan

An island nation with few resources, Japan was in a precarious enough position when it declared war on the United States in December 1941. That its powerful navy failed to learn the lessons of previous conflicts made matters even worse.

Young Guns: Terrorism in Japan

Tim Stanley describes the Asama-Sansō Incident of 1972 and reveals the cyclical nature of political violence and the means of its defeat.