- The Dawn of Japan: The Birth of Buddhism and the transition from hunters--gatherers to agricultural societies of ancient times
- The Genpei Wars: Davage battles between the Taira and Minamoto clans that led to the powerful warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo naming himself Japan's first Shogun
- The Onin Wars: A decade-long struggle for domination of Japan in which thousands of Samurai fought and tragically lost their lives
- The 47 Ronin: Loyal Samurai who vowed to avenge the death of their master, choosing honor over surrender and being forced to commit mass ritual suicide as a result
- The Satsuma Rebellion: A dramatic last stand by Samurai loyal to the Shogun who revolted against the new Meiji government and its plans to finally modernize Japan
- And many more!
Dozens of indelible portraits, manga stories, maps and info-sidebars bring the full sweep of Japanese history to life in one easy-to-read book!