Asia -- The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan edited by Richard Bowring and Peter Kornicki

In the sense that it does not consist of a long list of entries arranged in alphabetical order, this is not a conventional encyclopedia: rather it is a lavishly illustrated handbook which in conception, organization and high standard of production broadly resembles the other one-volume encyclopedias that have been published during recent years by Cambridge University Press. The contents are divided into eight sections: geography, history, language and literature, thought and religion, arts and crafts, society, politics, and economy - each written by one or more leading specialists in Japanese studies (the expertly-compiled geography section is the work of Richard Wiltshire).

The editors have unashamedly opted for a coverage that gives emphasis to history and culture. 'Present realities can only ever be correctly understood in the light of history', they...