Though it lasted for only 50 years, the Japanese empire forever changed the geopolitical balance in Asia and left a complex legacy that endures to this day. Historian Justin M. Jacobs takes you on a thematic tour of five fascinating topics in the history of the Japanese empire: politics, tourism, baseball, zoos, and video games. He provides a nuanced overview based on the latest scholarship and shares copious slides.
Jacobs, a professor of history at American University, is the author of several books, including The Compensations of Plunder: How China Lost Its Treasures.
Session Information
Himeji Castle and the Transformation of Japan
In just a few decades, Japan went from one of the most isolated states in the world to a modern industrial power eager to expand beyond its traditional borders. Jacobs explores this transformation by taking an extended look at the history of Japan’s feudal castles, with a focus on Himeji Castle and how the political system it embodied unexpectedly helped to facilitate Japan’s rise