Japan and Her People [Paperback]

Anna C. Hartshorne (Author), Brent Massey (Editor), Christopher E. West (Editor), Lian Hearn (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

"Japan and Her People" is both a detailed description of late 19th century Japan and an overview of the country's history. Written in 1902 by Anna Hartshorne, a Western educator and long time resident of Japan, the work provides a unique insider's glimpse at Japanese society as it moved from the traditional Edo period lifestyle towards industrialization. Lively and engaging prose gives life to the urban areas and countryside of Japan from Kyushu to the then wild lands of Hokkaido, exploring lifestyles, customs, culture, and everyday behavior. Regional legends, landmarks (including the tombs of the Tokugawa Shoguns and the Great Buddha of Kamakura), and figures of note (such as "Western Samurai" William Adams and the Christian Hosokawa Gracia) further embellish Hartshorne's first person observations. Period photos also help to illustrate this era of transition in Japan. Hartshorne covers Japanese history from the earliest creation legends in the Kojiki and Nihongi through the Genpei Wars, the Sengoku Jidai, Japan's Three Unifiers, and the chaos of the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration. Also featured in this edition is a foreword by Lian Hearn, bestselling author of the "Tales of the Otori" series. Hearn gives information on Anna Hartshorne's place in history and her impact on early Western images of Japan (including the influential book, "Bushido: The Soul of Japan"). A welcome addition to any Japanophile or historian's bookshelf, "Japan and Her People" will allow the reader to experience the Japan that was. The classic 1902 book written by Anna Hartshorne, "Japan and Her People", has been republished in association with Samurai-archives.com and Culturetype.com (Jetlag press). This new edition includes an introduction by Lian Hearn, author of the Tales of the Otori series.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A welcome addition to any Japanophile or historian's bookshelf, Japan and Her People will allow the reader to experience the Japan that was. Japan and Her People, has been republished in association with Samurai-archives.com and Culturetype.com (Jetlag press).

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Jetlag Press (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097903972X
• ISBN-13: 978-0979039720
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,188,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Guided Tour Through The Japan That Was, August 14, 2007

By 

Randy Schadel "Kurotatsunoshi" (Norwood, OH/Kyoto, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japan and Her People (Paperback)

Japan and Her People, Anna Hartshorne's 1902 book on her experiences in Japan (along with its history), is an entertaining and informative volume that will be an excellent addition to any historian's library (with the added benefit of being a lively read).
Hartshorne, the daughter of a Quaker missionary, was a longtime resident of Japan, spending many years as a teacher in schools such as the Joshi Eigaku Juku. As such, she came over time to develop an appreciation and understanding of Japanese culture that gives her book an insight lacking in similar books written by short-term visitors. It would be unfair to label the book a travel journal, guide, or history-it's all of these and more.
The book begins with chapters on traveling to Japan ("...not a formidable matter...ranging from twelve days to three weeks") and a description of the Yokohama area, which at the time was the area most frequented by foreigners. The next two chapters feature an excellent introduction to Japanese history. Hartshorne relates the history of Japan from its earliest legends in the Kojiki and Nihongi through the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration. Touched upon along the way are the Minamoto, Taira, Go-Daigo, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and many more figures of note. At times the history proves to be false (as in the story of Tokugawa Ieyasu dying of wounds suffered at the Summer Battle of Osaka, or the many legends surrounding the 47 Ronin that were for years accepted as fact and since disproved). This in itself is helpful, however, for showing what the accepted views were at this particular point in time. Cities such as Tokyo and Kamakura are examined as well as overviews of several regions (including Oshu, Hokkaido, and the west coast). There are chapters on Japanese households, the tombs of the Tokugawa, Buddhist temples, hot springs, Japanese inns, and more. In each of these chapters Hartshorne generally gives a description of the subject as it was in her day and then examines its history. For example, the story of Will Adams (the so-called `English Samurai') is brought up in the Yokohama chapter and Hosokawa Gracia is examined in conjunction with Confucianism during the Japanese Household chapter. Hartshorne tends to stray off topic, but as she brings up one interesting story after another, the effect is generally quite engaging. Legends and folklore merge with observations and fact, giving the reader a feeling of how it must have been to live in and experience Japan in the early twentieth century. Many of the book's best passages come when Hartshorne expresses her dismay with certain elements of Japanese history and culture. The interior of the Kamakura Buddha is said to be "disenchanting" with "a sort of unnecessary ugliness that one resents", while she finds Gompachi (of the famous legend of lovers Gompachi and Komurasaki) to be "as cowardly a young cut-throat as ever got his deserts".
Despite her affiliations with Christian missionaries, Hartshorne is quite respectful regarding Buddhism and Shinto. She also brings to life the setbacks of Buddhism during the Meiji Restoration (as Shinto became the favored `religion' of the new regime).
Even the natural and man-made disasters that routinely swept Japan are reflected. In a post scripted note, Hartshorne relates how a fire burned down many of Ikegami temple's structures after she had visited and wrote at length about it.
Interspaced throughout the text are black and white period photos, enhancing the book's descriptions and helping to capture the unique feel of Japan at a time when it was still moving away from traditional values and lifestyles towards the modernity of the West.
An added bonus in this edition of the book is a Forward by Lian Hearn, author of the best selling Tales of The Otori series. Hearn is well-steeped in the history of Japan and provides valuable background and historical perspective to Hartshorne. In particular, I found Hartshorne's possible influence on Nitobe Inazo, author of the 1900 Bushido:The Soul of Japan (a book instrumental in shaping early Western misconceptions of Japanese culture and history), quite interesting. Hearn's Forward reads more like an historical analysis than the traditional congratulatory forward. The editors have also cleaned up spelling errors from the original 1902 edition. The only possible drawback to the book is the lack of an index; it's understandable since it's not a straight out history.
As Hearn laments, "It's sad that Anna wrote no other books". Thankfully, we once again have this one to enjoy.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for this loving presentation, February 1, 2008

By 

Tim Clark - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japan and Her People (Paperback)

Massey and West deserves five stars for their loving presentation of this early twentieth century travelogue, which should be of great interest to historians and serious Japanese culture buffs.