This third volume of the Cambridge History of Japan is devoted to the three and a half centuries spanning the final decades of the twelfth century when the Kamakura bakufu was founded to the mid-sixteenth century when civil wars raged following the demise of the Muromachi bakufu. Volume 3 contains 13 specially commissioned essays written by leading Japanese and American scholars that survey the historical events and developments in medieval Japan's polity, economy, society and culture, as well as its relations with its Asian neighbours. The essays reflect the most recent scholarly research on the history of this period. The volume creates a rich tapestry of the events that took place during these colourful centuries, when the warrior class ruled Japan, institutions underwent fundamental transformations, the economy grew steadily, and Japanese culture and society evolved with surprising vitality to leave legacies that still characterize and affect contemporary Japan. A meticulously prepared glossary of terms and a chronological table of major historical events and developments are included.
As with other volumes in The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 3 was carefully prepared so as to be accessible to specialists and students as well as to general readers wishing to increase their understanding of the period. This is the most extensive treatment available on medieval Japan, and it will serve as an indispensible tool and authoritative guide for all interested in Japan's medieval age.