Kyushu: Gateway to Japan [Hardcover]

University of Nottingham Andrew Cobbing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1905246188 | ISBN-13: 978-1905246182

In this first major study of the region in English, the author examines the key themes of Kyushu's history from earliest times - the cultural interaction with the continental mainland, settlement, location and infrastructure as well as trade and commerce, - arguing that it was the principal stepping-stone in terms of Japan's cultural, social and economic advance through history up to the present day. Although an integral part of Japan, Kyushu is culturally distinct in that its location on the East China Sea has exposed the region to an unusually high degree of influence from overseas. There was diplomatic exchange between this island and China, for example, even before the political entity of Japan came into existence. Kyushu, in fact, has been the setting for many of the major cultural encounters in Japan's history, from the introduction of Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity to gunpowder, coffee and tea. The volume also includes a colour plate section containing 60 images which support the text and provide the reader/researcher with invaluable pictorial references to Kyushu's history from earliest times to the present day.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andrew Cobbing graduated in History from Bristol University, received his Masters degree in Japanese History from Kyushu University in 1993 and completed his PhD at SOAS (University of London) in 1997. After several years as professor at Kyushu University he took up his current appointment as lecturer in history at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of The Japanese Discovery of Victorian Britain (1998), The Satsuma Students in Britain (2000) and Kawada Ryokichi: Jeanie Eadie's Samurai (2006). He has also translated one of the volumes of the official record of the Iwakura Embassy's Travels to the West.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 370 pages
• Publisher: BRILL/Global Oriental (December 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905246188
• ISBN-13: 978-1905246182
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,889,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First-rate!, December 8, 2010

By 

P. Sean Bramble (Dazaifu, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Kyushu: Gateway to Japan (Hardcover)

Impressively comprehensive, Mr. Cobbing's book integrates specific theories, personalities, and events relating to the Japanese island of Kyushu against the broader sweep of Japanese history. Different regions are highlighted where appropriate, and the text throughout is clear and enjoyable. The book is further bolstered by a series of useful maps and a collection of sixty-four color plates that will go a long way to helping readers visualize the highlights of Kyushu if they've never seen them before. If I have a quibble about the book, it's that Mr. Cobbing demonstrates a Kyushu-centric preference whenever competing theories abound (e.g., the name of Fukuoka City may have had its origins outside Kyushu, not locally.) Still, to a Kyushu partisan like myself, that is a very minor weakness indeed. Kyushu: Gateway to Japan is that rare book good for either the serious tourist or the Japan academic who needs a useful volume detailing the history of Japan's key link with the outside world.