This course begins with Japan’s unification as a nation in 1600 and ends with contemporary times. A general historical survey will complement the detailed examination of selected topics which best illustrate Japan’s modern development. Political, social, cultural, and economic trends will receive roughly equal treatment. The student should gain a broad yet multifaceted understanding of Japan’s rise from obscurity to empire, of its disastrous defeat and occupation by the Allied Powers, and of its post-war recovery to become a leading economic force in today’s world.
