… the population divided among four distinct classes: samurai, farmers, craftspeople, and traders. Prior to the Tokugawa period there was some movement among these classes, but the Tokugawa shoguns, intent upon maintaining their power and privilege,…

… culture and economic needs on another nation or territory. In Japan, imperialism meant the desire to form an expansionist policy on the nations and areas surrounding it. Although Japan's main imperialist aims were endeavoured during the Second…

… is an interesting guide to how people with knowledge were treated in the USSR. While reading this, however, one must remember that it is a widow's memoir and not a guaranteed factual piece of Soviet history. Larina tells us in her preface that…

… a very interesting tale of a woman who traveled from the United States into the Soviet Union and then back. Leder is very optimistic when she ventured into the communist country. She does a fantastic job of portraying what life is like for a normal…

… Canada. Numerous Japanese found that in Canada, but during World War II Japanese were treated harshly for doing nothing at all. A lot of Canada thought that Japanese were a threat to Canadian Security. This was far from the truth, there was never a Japan…

… Asia. The countries Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam border it on three sides and the Gulf of Thailand borders it on the fourth. Buddhism is the predominant religion in Cambodia. It is a home of many ancient statues, such as the Tower of Bayon, in…

… with diverse ethnic and cultural groups. Ethnic groups are based on a sense of common ancestry, while cultural groups can be either made up of people of different ethnic groups who share a common language, or of ethnic groups with some customs and…

… policies sheltered them from the rest of the world. The effects from the policies were good and bad. <Tab/>China's isolation began when demand for Chinese good increased. Many Europeans who traded goods also brought European culture and…

… in the decade following the Boxer Rebellion were highly significant in leading China into a more modern nation. The several reforms shaped the numerous aspects of Chinese society. The reforms that were instituted fueled the fire that led to the…

… Japanese religion, its obscure beginnings dating back at least to the middle of the first millennium B.C. Until the sixth century A.D., when the Japanese began a period of rapid adoption of continental civilization, it existed as an amorphous mix…