TEACH YOURSELF WORLD CULTURES - JAPAN

How did Japanese industries become so successful? What was a samurai? When do Japanese people wear kimono? Do the Japanese celebrate Christmas? This book answers these questions, and many more, in a concise and lively overview of Japan: the country,its language, its people, their way of life and culture and what makes them tick. If you are studying for examinations which require a knowledge of the background of Japan and its civilisation, or if you are learning the language in, for example, anevening class and want to know more about the country, this is the book for you. If your job involves travel and business relations, it will provide valuable and practical information about the ways and customs of the people you are working with. Orif you simply have an interest in Japan for whatever reason, it will broaden your knowledge about the country and its inhabitants. The book is divided into three sections. Chapters One and Two deal with the forces -- historical, geographical, geological, demographical and linguistic -- that have brought about the formation of the country we know as Japan and the language we know as Japanese.