Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd. The cradle of humanity and a continent of diversity, Africa, explained in stunning vis uals! “Illustrated History of Africa” ​​goes on sale August 27th.

[Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd.] Explain everything about Africa, the cradle of humanity and a continent of diversity, with stunning visuals! “Illustrated History of Africa” ​​goes on sale August 27th. ​
Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd. Press release: August 28, 2025 To Members of the Press Explain everything about Africa, the cradle of humanity and a continent of diversity, with stunning visuals! “The Complete History of Africa” ​​goes on sale August 27th.
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Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd. released the book “Illustrated History of Africa” ​​(DK Publishing/editor; Japanese version supervised by Soji Matsuda) on August 27, 2025. Explanation A comprehensive overview of the geography, history, and culture of the African continent. The long-awaited visual encyclopedia is finally published! Africa is the birthplace of humanity and the second largest continent on Earth. Its 5 million-year history and the diversity of its cultures, ethnicities, societies, and religions are comprehensively explained with stunning visuals. Additionally, the book includes the histories of each country, a glossary, and an index, providing a three-dimensional understanding of Africa, the continent currently receiving the most attention. “This book is a comprehensive introduction to the history of the African continent and its diverse peoples.” (From the book’s “Introduction”) “The greatest significance of this book is that it persuasively presents the dynamic development of African history not through mere words or ideology, but through the use of easily recognizable visual materials. Every region of the vast African continent is home to numerous ruins, artifacts, and works of art and crafts that reveal the rich and intimate human activities that have taken place. Just by looking at these alone, one can directly sense a glimpse of the dynamism of African history.” (From the book’s “Preface – On the Publication of the Japanese Edition”)
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/115774/183/115774-183-7a944f300f7656a5e875aa4c62000e6c-1181×1438.jpg Features of this book ・A comprehensive illustrated history of the African continent The African continent is the birthplace of humanity, and today it is home to approximately 3,000 ethnic groups speaking approximately 2,000 languages. Behind this diversity lies the rise and fall of numerous societies and nations. This book explores the history of Africa, from prehistoric times, the birth of civilization, the era of great empires, Western colonization and the struggle for
independence, to modern-day Africa, highlighting not only numerous ruins and artifacts, but also culture and arts such as clothing, crafts, fine arts, music, film, and literature. ・Examining the “Slave Trade” and the Colonial Era This exhibition also covers the “slave trade,” in which approximately 12 million people were sold to other countries, and uses numerous photographs to explain the “colonization” that took place across almost the entire region toward the end of the 19th century. It also examines how Africa has been misunderstood and mistreated through theories of race and culture that were used to “justify” slavery and imperialism. ・From the Past, Present, and Future of Africa By 2050, the population of Africa is expected to reach 2.4 billion, accounting for one in four people on the world’s planet. Going forward, Africa will likely exert increasing global influence not only in politics, economy, and industry, but also in culture. With a history of each country included at the end of the book, this single volume provides a comprehensive understanding of the past, present, and future potential of the African continent and its diverse people. Includes a glossary and index.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/115774/183/115774-183-39d85a4fd9f8794c7a528b46a9b40b8e-2362×1419.jpg 1. From African Prehistory
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/115774/183/115774-183-21a60ce5295f79afa0555f53d3657ea0-2362×1419.jpg 2. From early civilization
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/115774/183/115774-183-b5721ecd6d93e2c57dcdb84811b3a609-2362×1419.jpg 3. From the African Empire
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/115774/183/115774-183-65be3b3afab1b1c5ebc9e2e8a79ef52f-2362×1419.jpg 5. From the era of independence
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/115774/183/115774-183-239c5a77403a1ee097319d84bb7c06d1-2362×1419.jpg 6. From Modern Africa Author Information Editor DK Publishing British publisher. Founded in London in 1974. Part of the world’s largest publishing group, Penguin Random House. It publishes numerous books for a wide range of ages, from children to adults, and is highly acclaimed for its beautiful visuals and engaging content. Japanese Version Supervisor Matsuda Motoji Specially Appointed Professor at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University. Majors: Social Anthropology and African Area Studies. Graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Kyoto University, and completed a Master’s program at the University of Nairobi Graduate School before dropping out of the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University. PhD in Literature. His major publications include “Resisting Cities: From the World of Nairobi Immigrants” (Iwanami Shoten, 1999) and “Taming the City: Urban Anthropology of Africa” ​​(Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 1996). His edited works include “For Those Studying Africa” ​​(Sekai Shiso Sha, 2023), “Africa’s Potential to Change the World” (co-editor, Kyoto University Press, 2022), “Revised New Edition: Paperback History of Africa” ​​(co-editor, Kodansha, 2018), and “55 Chapters to Understand Kenya” (Akashi Shoten, 2012). Contents Preface – On supervising the Japanese version Introduction 1. 1. African Prehistory 5 million years ago – 3500 BC 2. Early Civilizations 3000 BC – 600 AD 3. African Empires 600-1900 4. European Encounter 1440-1914 5. Era of Independence 1914-1994 6. Modern Africa 1994- History of African Nations (North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa) “Illustrated History of Africa” ■Edited by DK Publishing, Japanese version supervised by Soji Matsuda ■List price: ¥6,930 (¥6,300 10% tax) ■A4 variant size/400 pages
https://www.tokyo-shoseki.co.jp/product/books/81772/ Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd. Tokyo Shoseki was founded in 1909 (Meiji 42). With a corporate philosophy of “developing people through education and culture,” the company aims to cultivate unique, creative individuals ready to take on new challenges in the new era. As the largest publisher of elementary, junior high, and high school textbooks, the company publishes the most copies. In recent years, the company has also focused on the development and sale of educational digital content, including digital textbooks. In addition, we are engaged in a wide range of business activities related to education and culture, such as operating a comprehensive educational portal site, various evaluation projects such as academic and physical ability tests, and publishing general books.