Japan in the 21st Century: Environment, Economy, and Society

This is a regional study looking at many aspects of Japan, including its physical setting, history, population, agriculture, politics, urban areas, economics, environment, and future challenges, all liberally laced with illustrative photos (B & W), maps, and diagrams. Before the publication of this book, the only comprehensive work on Japan was done by Glenn Trewartha, last published in 1965, a 1945 update. With the relevance of Japan in today's world, it's surprising that something hasn't been done sooner. Each chapter has a valuable list of references at the end, with dates from Ellen Churchill Semple's time to modern journal articles published in 2002, which make an interesting work in itself. 99% of the photos were taken by the author, so this is more of a first hand account of what's there than a library study. This is a good book to find out what's actually occurring in Japan and why.