ISBN: 9780924304910. 108 Pages. Paperback After Japanese emperor Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum throne in 2019, he performed a secretive ritual funded by the state by offering newly harvested rice to the Shintō sun goddess Amaterasu, mythological progenitor of the imperial family, raising controversy and puzzlement both inside Japan and out. This book is a concise […]

ISBN: 978-0-924304-51-4. 80 pages. Paperback. “Political Rights in Post-Mao China” provides an engaging overview of political changes in China in the later decades of the twentieth century and early years of the twenty-first century, highlighting the growing rights consciousness movement among China’s citizens. Professor Goldman explains how demands for Party reform and the increasingly organized […]

ISBN: 978-0-924304-55-2. 108 pages. Paperback. “Diane Mines has produced a clear and compelling introduction to one of the world’s most complex and misunderstood social systems. This booklet offers an exhaustive overview of the anthropology and history of caste based on extensive reading and over two decades of ethnographic research in rural South India. It also […]

ISBN: 978-0-924304-59-0. 90 pages. Paperback. “Richard Davis’ dismantling of the notion of an isolated India masterfully integrates evidence from texts, archaeology, art history and numismatics. The focus shifts elegantly from Rome to China, from entrepreneurial traders to pious monks, from Jataka tales to the Ramayana. For anyone who teaches Indian, Asian or world history, this […]

ISBN: 978-0-924304-62-0. 96 pages. Paperback. Japanese Popular Culture and Globalization is the only concise overview of Japan’s phenomenal impact on world pop culture available in English. Surveying Japanese forms from anime (animation) and manga (comic books) to monster movies and Hello Kitty products, this volume is an accessible introduction to Japan’s pop creativity and its […]

ISBN 978-0-924304-64-4. 98 pages. Paperback. Zen Past and Present provides readers with a concise but comprehensive survey of the history of Zen Buddhism. Because it examines Zen from historical, religious, literary, artistic, and political standpoints, it is an ideal supplemental text for a wide variety of disciplines. Zen Past and Present covers the evolution of […]

ISBN 978-0-924304-65-1. 130 pages. Paperback. “Victor Mair and Tansen Sen have provided an account of China’s engagement with the Eurasian world around it that is succinct, accessible, and masterful. They demonstrate how—from their Neolithic origins through Zheng He’s fifteenth century voyages across maritime Asia—the Chinese were constantly interacting with their neighbors, through warfare, diplomacy, religious […]

ISBN 978-0-924304-66-8. 114 pages. Paperback. “Donald Clark does a masterful job of situating the entire sweep of Korean history in its global context thus belying the shop worn stereotype of Korea as a “hermit nation.” Clark uses his mastery of both medieval and modern history to vividly describe the often ignored contributions of this fascinating […]

REVISED AND EXPANDED SECOND EDITION ISBN 978-0-924304-90-3. 108 pages. Paperback. E-book format also available at $14.99. This second edition of Modern Chinese History provides a concise narrative of Chinese history from the period 1644 to the present. Organized around the twin themes of Chinese cosmopolitanism and exceptionalism, it can easily supplement any history, international studies, […]

ISBN 978-0-924304-71-2. 118 pages. Paperback. “For those who are looking for a very well informed introduction to Việt Nam—from its semi-mythical beginnings some 5,000 years ago all the way up to the twenty-first century—this is the book. Covering politics and war, society and economics, culture and relationships, it provides the essential structure that both teachers […]

ISBN 978-0-924304-73-6. 118 pages. Paperback. “Jeff Richey has emerged as one of the most important scholars of Confucianism—both historical and contemporary—working today. This concise volume on Confucianism in East Asia provides an engaging overview of the influence the Sage has had across the region, from China and Korea to Japan and Vietnam. Richey presents Confucianism […]

ISBN 978-0-924304-74-3. 140 pages. Paperback. “So very many of us teach introductions to East Asia under different disciplines, including the Humanities, Sociology, Economics, History, and Religious Studies, but what makes this work so promising is its transferability across these lines of demarcation for the student engaged in her first serious study of the region. Neuman’s […]

ISBN 978-0-924304-75-0. 102 pages. Paperback. “Concisely rendered, engagingly written, and thoughtful in its judgments, this short book is a most valuable interpretation of Japan’s remarkable history since the end of World War II.” — Andrew Gordon, Lee and Juliet Folger Fund Professor of History, Harvard University “Surveys the dramatic changes in Japan’s society, politics, economy, […]

ISBN 978-0-924304-77-4. 132 pages. Paperback. “Japanese Literature: From Murasaki to Murakami” provides a concise introduction to the literature of Japan that traces its origins in the seventh century and explores a literary legacy—and its cultural contexts—marked by the intersection of aristocratic elegance and warrior austerity. Coverage extends to the present day with a focus on […]

Revised and Expanded Second Edition (2016) ISBN: 978-0-924304-79-8. 112 pages. Paperback. “Concise yet comprehensive, Zhiqun Zhu’s booklet is the perfect introduction to the political economy of East Asia for undergraduate and advanced high school classes. Zhu’s analysis of the economic ‘miracles’ of Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan takes into account both domestic factors and […]

Revised and Expanded Second Edition ISBN: 978-0-924304-82-8. 108 pages. Paperback. This lively narrative tells the story of Japan’s experience with imperialism and colonialism, looking first at Japan’s responses to Western threats in the nineteenth century, then at Japan’s activities as Asia’s only imperialist power. Using a series of human vignettes as lenses, Japan and Imperialism […]

ISBN: 978-0-924304-80-4. 130 pages. Paperback. “In a thoroughly comprehensive manner, Helen Hundley successfully demonstrates the complex legacy of the Mongol presence in medieval history, when Mongol warriors created a vast political organism facilitating interethnic and intercontinental economic and cultural exchange. Hundley offers the reader not only insight into the political organization of the diverse Mongol […]

ISBN: 978-0-924304-83-5. 144 pages. Paperback. In this brief yet thorough introduction to the key features and important names of Chinese literature, Ihor Pidhainy covers Chinese writings from oracle bones to the internet. Contextualizing the literature within political, historical and cultural frames, Prof. Pidhainy also provides a smorgasbord of examples from the authors noted. Written with […]

ISBN: 978-0-924-30486-6. 130 pages. Paperback. “The Philippines: From Earliest Times to the Present provides a strong introduction to Philippine history. Important cultural, social, and political issues are threaded together through Damon Wood’s deft writing with just the right amount of detail. Students will appreciate the concise and clear nature of the writing, making the history […]

ISBN: 978-0-924-304-89-7. 132 pages. Paperback. Indonesia: History, Heritage, Culture offers a concise, engaging introduction to the historical, political and cultural dynamics of Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation and home to the world’s largest and most diverse Muslim population. Interweaving brief, anthropologically-informed stories of aspects of everyday life in Indonesia with broader historical accounts […]