"Unite your total strength, to be devoted to construction for the future". The closing lines of the speech delivered by Emperor Hirohito when Japan surrendered to Allied forces on 15 August 1945 are the starting point for this book, which reviews the events occurring in the main countries of the area normally labelled "Eastern Asia". Japan's defeat in World War II, in fact, had a major impact on the destinies of the two Koreas, Taiwan, China, as well as, of course, Japan itself. The text explains, in chronological order up to the present day, the historical, political and economic evolution of these countries, including the radical changes that have transformed them into major actors on the world stage.

Antonio Fiori teaches Asian Politics and Institutions at the University of Bologna.