As East Asia regains its historical position as a world centre, information on the history of regional relations becomes ever more critical. Northeast Asia saw five centuries of international peace from 1400 to 1894, broken only by one international war - the invasion of Korea in the 1590s by Japan. This war involved Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asians, and Europeans; it saw the largest overseas landing in world history to date and devastated Korea. This book gives a comprehensive analysis of the war and its aftermath, deepening understanding of East Asian international relations and providing important insights into the strategic forces which continue to operate in the region.