Encyclopedia of Japan: Japanese History and Culture, from Abacus to Zori

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Facts on File, 1991 - History - 410 pages
Less comprehensive and more popularly written than the nine-volume Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan ( LJ 1/84), this single-volume work is nevertheless a valuable reference source. It is extremely current, including entries on such recent topics as the Recruit political scandal and current prime minister Kaifu Toshiki. While the articles in the Kodansha Encyclopedia are written by experts in the field and provide bibliographic references with nearly all of the entries, the present work is authored entirely by Perkins, whom the publisher identifies as ``an educator specializing in Buddhism and Japanese culture,'' and has only a general bibliography at the end. For its more comprehensive treatment, especially of historical topics and traditional culture, the Kodansha remains a standard source, but for its currency and value as a ready reference tool the Perkins volume will be a useful acquisition for most libraries as well. Its single-volume format and lower cost make it an excellent acquisition for smaller libraries.-- Scott Wright, Univ. of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn. - Library Journal.

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About the author (1991)

Dorothy Perkins is a freelance writer with a background in Asian history. She holds a Ph.D. in religion from Temple University and is the author of Japan Goes to War: A Chronology of Japanese Military Expansion from the Meiji Era to the Attack on Pearl Harbor. She resides in Philadelphia, PA.

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