Modern Japanese Diaries: The Japanese at Home and Abroad As Revealed Through Their Diaries [Hardcover]

Donald Keene (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1995

This is a collection of journals written by Japanese men and women--from samurai and other government officials to novelists and poets--who journeyed to America, Europe, and China between 1860 and 1920. The diaries faithfully record personal views of the countries and their cultures and sentiments that range from delight to disillusionment. At once an intimate account of the travellers' lives and a testimony to the greater struggles and advances of their cultures, Donald Keene's eloquent translation and commentary invites the reader to partake in the world as each person experienced it.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Using excerpts from the diaries of diplomats, artists, writers, women and students, Keene, Shincho professor emeritus at Columbia University, discusses Japanese history and culture through Japanese reactions to the West from the mid-19th century, when the country was first opened up to the outside world, to 1920. Each diarist's account is accompanied by the author's commentary as well as notes and bibliography that provide a context for the individual's remarks. In 1859, Muragaki Norimasa, a high-ranking officer of the shogunate, went as an envoy to Washington, D.C., where he met President Buchanan and attended a session of Congress. He complained of the "lack of distinction between high and low" and noted that the president "dressed exactly like a merchant." Some of his compatriots enjoyed the informality and freedom of America; all seemed troubled by foreign dress, food and manners. In these journal entries the distinctions between Japan and the West become more vivid than in many formal accounts. Though a knowledge of Japan's history and literature would help readers, this is still a superb contribution to our understanding of the Japanese.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Japanese traveling from 1860 to 1920 reflect on foreign lands, their homeland, and themselves.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 534 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co; 1st edition (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805020551
• ISBN-13: 978-0805020557
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,888,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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