I've decided that I'd like to read up on Japanese history in Japanese. I've taken a college class that covered from around Edo to just after WWII, but I think it was watered down for a non-Japanese audience.
My problem is, I'm having trouble finding a book that a person with very little prior education on Japanese history would be able to pick up easily. A lot of the good books on amazon seem to be aimed at 受験生 who need to study for college entrance exams or adults who are just reviewing things they read as students, and not aimed at people with very little knowledge to begin with. This is an assumption, though based on the 復習 label on a lot of these books, maybe they're actually quite accessible?

I thought 金谷俊一郎のセンターはこれだけ!日本史B〈古代・中世・近世〉 looked pretty good, but I'm hesitant due to the reasons above.

Does anyone here have experience with these? Are there any books that you would recommend?

I have just the book for you. 読むだけですっきりわかる日本史 by 後藤武士. It covers everything between 旧石器時代 to 平成時代, although not in great detail as you might imagine. But it's great as an introduction to get some insight to every period of Japanese history. Personally I've read up till 明治時代 and have found it very interesting and useful. It's basically written for the exact purpose you stated, for people who hardly know anything about Japanese history, and also uses a very simple, easy to understand language (as compared to other history books).

Edit: Oh, and it also has a preview on Amazon, so you can read some from the beginning of the book to see if it looks like what you're after.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E8%AA%AD%E3%82%...858&sr=8-1

Thanks, Taishi.
I see that the uyoku don't like it. That's probably a good thing, I think I'll look into it.

Does anyone know of any Japanese history books written in Japanese that are similar to Howard Zinn's excellent A People's History of the United States? I'd like to find a book that isn't a dry survey of history but has some emotional punch and honesty to it.

I had the same question! This author seems pretty established:
http://www.pbs.org/empires/japan/resources_5.html
"EIKO IKEGAMI
Eiko Ikegami studied Japanese classical literature as an undergraduate in Japan, and later was awarded a Ph.D. in sociology from Harvard University. Currently a Professor of Sociology on the Graduate Faculty at New School University, she previously taught at Yale University as associate professor of sociology. Ikegami's first book, The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan (1995, Harvard University Press) won the Best Book on Asia Award from the American Sociological Association's section of Asian and Asian American Studies. Her latest book, Bonds of Civility: Aesthetic Networks and Political Origins of Japanese Culture (2004, Cambridge University Press) examines the social aspects of Japanese aesthetic life, covering such topics as haiku, the tea ceremony, kimono fashion and Japanese politeness. "

According to wiki some books of hers exists in Japanese:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiko_Ikegami

I recall that jarvik7 used, and recommended, Japanese school history textbooks. No idea how difficult it'd be to find them. The language would be simpler than more academic texts, but the vocab for history is an unavoidable challenge. I'm guessing the style wouldn't be anything interesting. Maybe the Japan Foundation could give you some assistance?

julianjalapeno Wrote:Does anyone know of any Japanese history books written in Japanese that are similar to Howard Zinn's excellent A People's History of the United States? I'd like to find a book that isn't a dry survey of history but has some emotional punch and honesty to it.

That's what I just just wondering! If anyone knows a Japanese-language history book like that, I'd love to know about it too.

julianjalapeno Wrote:Does anyone know of any Japanese history books written in Japanese that are similar to Howard Zinn's excellent A People's History of the United States? I'd like to find a book that isn't a dry survey of history but has some emotional punch and honesty to it.

Are you talking about writing style or history from a Marxist perspective? I don't know any with the writing style you are looking for but history books written from Marxist perspectives are extremely common in Japanese historical circles.

It doesn't need to be entirely from a socialist perspective, but I just don't want any whitewashing. I want all the dirt along with the good, which most standard textbooks tend to leave out except for maybe a brief mention (like war atrocities, sexism, etc.).

kodorakun: She looks like she might have some interesting material, but it also looks like it was written originally in English and I was more hoping for finding some native texts written for Japanese audiences. I may end up just finding something in English, though.

A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower by Kenneth G. Henshall