This volume contains essays by scholars associated with the Kyoto school of Sinology from the post-founding generation, work that has been underappreciated.

These essays cover a wide variety of subfields: economic, social, political, diplomatic, and cultural history. They also cover every dynasty from the Han through the Qing and then into the Republican period. They are preceded by an introduction by the translator/editor in which he explains what the characteristics of the Kyoto school are. The authors share little politically—from full-scale Marxists to conservatives—but what they more importantly share as scholars is a commitment to and appreciation of the Chinese language and culture.
The first piece is by one of the founders of the Kyoto school, Naitō Konan (1866-1934) in which he lays out his most famous thesis—namely, that the transition from medieval to modern China occurred roughly in the tenth century. This argument still characterizes the school as a whole.