Japan: A History in Objects

A history of the Japanese archipelago through its material artifacts over fifteen millennia.

This compelling illustrated history in objects traces Japan's complex past through its material culture. Over 350 artifacts―from the everyday to the sacred―highlight significant moments and themes from ancient times until the present, including religion and culture, agriculture and industry, urbanization and immigration, and politics and trade. This ambitious visual account, spanning over fifteen thousand years of history, examines the materials, ideas, and cross-cultural connections that continue to shape Japan.

Historian Angus Lockyer reveals the stories behind an intriguing selection of objects from the British Museum Collection. The book explores the history of the region through artifacts, from the lengthy prehistoric record, through the rise of Buddhism and a military elite in Japan's classical and medieval periods, to the economic and cultural developments of the early modern and modern eras.

Ancient flame pots and jewelry, textiles and armor, folding screens and contemporary manga provide glimpses of the lives of farmers and merchants, medieval warriors, and modern women. A wide range of ceramics and sculpture, metalwork and lacquerware, paintings, prints, and textiles provide a rich and compelling portrait of a society and culture that occupies a special place in the imagination of its citizens and visitors.