The lush green mountainous archipelago of today supports a population of over 127 million people and one of the most advanced economies in the world. How has this come about? At what environmental cost? Conrad Totman, one of the world's foremost scholars on Japan, explores the country's environmental history, from its beginnings to the present day. From Japan's unique borders, to the external influences exerted on its rich history, Totman demonstrates how the Japanese experience, yields important insights into the processes of environmental history, with important lessons for the wider environmental history of the planet.