In pre-modern Japan, wolves were worshipped as sacred; with the spread of rabies in the 18th century, they became feared and hunted; by 1905 wolves had disappeared from the country. This book examines how and why wolves became extinct in Japan, and the changing attitudes toward nature that are implied.
A monograph that places Ainu - the native people living in Ezo, the northernmost island of the Japanese archipelago - at the center of an exploration of Japanese expansion during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the height of the Tokugawa shogunal era.
Focusing on Japan's unique historical trajectory, the narrative explores its early history through archaeology, the imperial court, and the samurai's rise, alongside civil conflicts and European encounters. It examines state and economic development, as well as the roles of science and medicine, culminating in Japan's post-World War II resurgence. Brett L. Walker weaves together the rich tapestry of Japan's past with contemporary environmental issues, prompting readers to reconsider historical narratives in light of current global challenges.
When World War II ended, Yukikaze was the only elite Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer still afloat. Tracing her journey through the treacherous ocean battlefields of the Pacific War, this unique story is told through the eyes of the crew, who saw deep-running currents of Japanese history unfold before their eyes.