日本の歴史 1 日本のはじまり 旧石器~縄文・弥生~古墳時代
Natively: Level 26
Summary
A very fun way to learn Japanese history in Japanese!!
Story: This volume covers the 原始 (Prehistoric/Ancient Japan) and beginning of the 古墳 Kofun periods. Specifically it’s divided into 旧石器時代 (Paleolithic Era), 縄文時代 (Jōmon Era), 弥生時代 (Yayoi Era), and 古墳時代 (Kofun Era) periods. Each era has a unique story with new and distinct characters. It tells the story of Japan’s progression from the very first inhabitants; to developing stone, clay, metal tools; becoming more sedentary; creation/developing of Shinto practices; introducing rice cultivation, producing glass and silk, forming kingdoms with new architectural achievements, and finally consolidating into a larger empire, with the establishment of the Imperial Family. As the story and civilization progresses, you get diagrams and explanations of newly acquired/developed technology, rituals, construction patterns, etc.
source: 暁のルナ’s review on Natively
Availability
Physical:
CD Japan
Manga Republic
Amazon JP
Digital:
BookWalker
eBook Japan
Amazon Kindle JP
Personal Opinion
This is the kind of book that I think is most fun and interesting when read with a book club! The level may sound a little low at 26, but I think the text density qualifies it for this club (especially as developments become more political or technical in nature).
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Learn more about Japanese history, specifically what Japanese people learn about history as children.
- Full furigana makes look-ups easy.
- Could make a fun and educational spin-off club to read the rest of the series!
Cons
- Full furigana makes kanji-heavy text feel cluttered.
- Only the first 30-ish pages are in color. (On the other hand, that probably keeps the cost down.)
