A history of Japan: from stone age to superpower

Introduction: Japan and history

From the stone age to statehood : myths, prehistory and ancient history (to 710)

Of courtiers and warriors : early and medieval history (710-1600)

The closed country : the Tokugawa period (1600-1868)

Building a modern nation : the Meiji period (1868-1912)

The excesses of ambition : the Pacific war and its lead-up

A phoenix from the ashes : postwar successes and beyond

A superpower adrift : the Heisei years

Conclusion: Lessons for aspiring superpowers.