Welcome to the Japan category at Trieste Books. Japan, or “Nippon” in Japanese, is an island country in East Asia whose closed nature allowed it to develop a unique and highly complex culture, while its closeness to other ancient cultures of the Far East, in particular China, has left a lasting influence. Throughout Japan’s history there are periods of isolation from the outside world that alternate with periods of active relations with that world. The history of Japan spans the period from the 4th millennium BC to the present day. Despite the nation having long experienced wars, both domestic and foreign, Japan’s people have always paid special attention to inner balance, tranquillity, and natural beauty. In the 15th century, the era of great geographical discoveries began in Western Europe, and a hundred years later, its merchants, missionaries and the military began to penetrate into East Asia. In 1543, the first Europeans reached the Japanese island of Tanegashima. Then in 1549, the Jesuit Francis Xavier arrived in the city of Kagoshima, who first introduced the Japanese to Christianity. For a century, Portuguese and Spanish merchants visited Japan and acted as intermediaries in East Asian trade, exchanging Chinese and European goods for Japanese silver. As Europeans arrived from the southern colonies, the Japanese called them "southern barbarians." The samurai landowners of Western Japan were interested in trade with foreigners, and therefore they gladly accepted missionaries and merchants, sometimes even converted to Christianity. Thus, the first Christian landowner from the island of Kyushu, Omura Sumitada, granted the Society of Jesus the city of Nagasaki, which later became the Japanese "window to Europe." The Land of the Rising Sun is a treasure trove of refined exoticism. In addition to the incredible atmosphere, there is something to enjoy here: many are interested in the unique architecture of Japan - the Imperial Palace, the world famous "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto and a great many ancient temples. Trieste Books offers a collection of books dedicated to traveling through amazing Japan. Among our comprehensive collection you can find: Alfred Parsons’s “Notes In Japan”; “Japan: A Child Of The World's Old Age” by Charles Clarke; “On short leave to Japan” G. J. Younghusband’s travelogue and others. Explore and travel Japan - the Land of the Rising Sun with Trieste Books.