Abstract:

Memoirs of a Secret Empire For 250 years, it was a land shrouded in mystery, off-limits to the rest of the Western world. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Japan underwent a renaissance, arising from chaos and violence to a place of peace and refinement. But this control came with a cost. Explore these “hidden years” of Japan’s history, with its commanding shoguns, fierce samurai warriors and exotic geishas. Witness a nation’s journey from jealously guarded isolation to a dominant place on the world stage.