Based on the results of the latest research, carried out with the help of the latest achievements of modern science, and written in simple, easy language, McClain's book “Japan. From the Tokugawa Shogunate to the 21st Century” is one of the best works on this topic. The book opens with the brilliant era of the Tokugawa Ieyasu shogunate, which began in 1603 at Fushimi Castle. It ends with the 20th century, filled with cataclysms, followed invariably by a revival. The book contains a panoramic and at the same time deep description of the history of the country. This is the story of a nation that gradually built its power and rich culture. The rise and fall of the samurai class, the restoration of imperial power in the Meiji era - all this and much more is reflected in the pages of the book. We see the rise of Imperial Japan after the victory over Russia, and then its descent into the abyss of a destructive war. The occupation of Japan and its restoration in the post-war period do not go unnoticed. The history of Japan covers changes in all spheres of life of various segments of the population. It fits the daily life of the Japanese - peasants, women, workers - into a multi-colored picture of social history. All facts and events are presented not from the point of view of a Western person, but through the prism of the Japanese worldview.