A history of Japan: from stone age to superpower

Introduction : Japan and history

Part 1. From the stone age to statehood : myths, prehistory and ancient history (to 710)

Part 2. Of courtiers and warriors : early and medieval history (710-1600)

Part 3. The closed country : the Tokugawa period (1600-1868)

Part 4. Building a modern nation : the Meiji period (1868-1912)

Part 5. The excesses of ambition : the Pacific war and its lead-up

Part 6. A phoenix from the ashes : postwar successes and beyond

Conclusion : Lessons for aspiring superpowers.