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Electronic Games About Japan
Japan is known for making a wealth of video games that are played around the world.

Meanwhile, the history and culture of Japan is featured in a few games. Produced primarily by foreigners, these games often focus in on the Shogun, Samurai, Ninja aspects of Japan's history; games of armored knights and political strategy.

As I have read books to explore and understand Japanese culture, I have played some games for a look at Japan as well. You could argue that the scads of video games published by Japan reveal something about the country; that is the subject for another web page.

There are a large group of games centered around World War II; this list will mostly avoid those games to examine games that examine other points in Japanese history.

English-language Electronic Games about Japan

Year Game Title Platform Developer/Publisher Comments/Links
1986 Shogun PCMastertronic Shogun recreates the
1986 Budokan PCElectronic Arts This compact action game recreated Japanese martial arts. Beyond simply hands and fists, this game offered combat with staves, in Japanese dojo-inspired settings.
Lords of the Rising Sun AmigaCinemaWarePublisher Page
1988 James Clavell's Shogun Infocom A text game based on the adventures of a foreigner arriving in late-Feudal Japan.
1987? Sword of the Samurai PCMicroprose Sword of the Samurai offers the chance to play as an aspiring warlord in feudal Japan. Power, honor, mostly decided through small arcade games and some strategy.

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1989 Nobunga's Ambition PCKoei
1991? Nobunga's Ambition 2 PCKoei
1992 Conquest of Japan PCImpressionsUnderDogs
1995 Cosmology of Kyoto PCSoftEdge
2000 Shogun: Total War PCElectronic Arts Strategy game

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