Sources of Japanese Tradition, Vol 1

This book is a wonderful compilation by some of the most prolific and knowledgeable authorities on the field. It great gives great insight into the foundations of Japanese tradition. Especially the influences of Shinto/animism, Buddhism, and China are thoroughly fleshed out. The book provides translations of portions of key historical and religious texts, providing ample explanations without forcing us to read through the... Read Full Review

I find this book very readable (and I'm reading it for pleasure/interest). It would probably be helpful to read this after or while reading a general Japanese history, though. However, for a western reader, the unfamiliar place names do make it a bit of a memory exercise. Perhaps that exercise is a good thing. And in any case, I do enjoy searching on the internet for such things. But often I just want to read uninterruptedly,... Read Full Review

Originally compiled in 1958, this book (Volume I) remains standard issue in most university courses on the study of Japan prior to 1868, whether that class is literature, history, philosophy or anthropology. The editor, Wm. Theodore de Bary, and one of the compilers, Donald Keene (see Keene, "On Familiar Terms") are two of the most highly regarded Western scholars on the subject of Japanese culture and literature, each... Read Full Review

This book is wonderful introduction to Japanese history. It covers Japan from the earliest sources through the late Tokugawa Shogunate in the 18th century. The sources trace political, social, artistic, philosophic, and religious trends throughout Japanese history, in the words of the Japanese of those former periods. Selections from all the important source material for Japanese history are assembled in this book... Read Full Review

This book is a wonderful introduction to modern Japanese history. It is an anthology of important sources, beginning with the Shinto revival of the 18th century, through the Meiji Period, World War II, into the 1950s. This is an invaluable reference work for anyone concerned with Japan's development over the last two centuries.