Well, I saw Charlie's topic in Literature and Arts and thought that we should have a similar topic except this time on the best book on Japanese History.
I think the greatest book in Japanese History is Japan: Its History and Culture by W. Scott Morton and J. Kenneth Olenik (some sources list a different but similar cover and list Charlton Lewis as the author with Scott Morton on the website but the cover reads Olenik and Morton - trying to get that cleared up - I will post a reply with the correction). It was written in the 1970s but was revised in 2004 with excellent and up-to-date information, even including Koizumi's decision to send troops to Iraq. It covers prehistory to the 2004 LDP elections. A great read.
I think the greatest book in Japanese History is Japan: Its History and Culture by W. Scott Morton and J. Kenneth Olenik (some sources list a different but similar cover and list Charlton Lewis as the author with Scott Morton on the website but the cover reads Olenik and Morton - trying to get that cleared up - I will post a reply with the correction). It was written in the 1970s but was revised in 2004 with excellent and up-to-date information, even including Koizumi's decision to send troops to Iraq. It covers prehistory to the 2004 LDP elections. A great read.