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Native American in the Land of the Shogun: Ranald MacDonald and the Opening of Japan

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Schodt masterfully recreates a time when the west was truly wild, with a group of bizarre characters and a truly unbelieveable protagonist. It is all the more amazing, then, that this is a true story. As in his other books, Schodt has so many interesting asides that even his footnotes read like adventure novels -- I hope he returns one day to write the full story of the Japanese radio operator-girls who committed suicide when the Russians attacked. But back in the world of the 19th century, this story of the Amerindian-Scot who learned Japanese and was one of the first westerners to see the closed land of Japan is truly fascinating. The ideal gift for anyone who thinks they know all about the way the West was won, or indeed, the East.

Schodt has accomplished two things with one book. He has told the tale of a fascinating individual and his adventures in the Orient and elsewhere. And he has also brought to life a unique period in North American history that few of us learn about in school. Although the exploits of McDonald alone make for a great story, what interested me most was the vast historical and geographic tableau the author ambitiously depicts -- one that sprawls over decades and continents and is populated by such colorful characters as John McLoughlin, the virtual emperor of the Pacific Northwest, and James Dickson, the self-styled general of the "Indian Liberating Army," to name just two. The book's portrayal of the Metis culture of the U.S. and Canada in the early 19th century is a compelling story in itself. Coupled with McDonald's remarkable adventures in a Japan that was on the cusp of opening to the West, this makes for a gripping epic. Schodt has done a thorough and eloquent job of bringing it to life. "Native American in the Land of the Shogun" should entertain any history buff as well as satisfy the most discriminating scholar.

Frederik L. Schodt is an interpreter and translator whose specialty is writing and understanding Japanese culture and Japanese-U.S. relations. In Native American In The Land Of The Shogun: Ranald MacDonald And The Opening Of Japan, Schodt ably presents the fascinating and true account of a half-Chinook, half-Scot adventurer who braved feudal Japan in 1848, when it was still closed to the outside world, and helped establish a legacy of knowledge that would pave the way to Japan's involvement in modern times. It was Ranald MacDonald's study of the Japanese language, and his teaching of English to interpreters of a nation, which helped Japan when the Japanese government had to negotiate with foreign visitors such as Commodore Perry and his fleet of "Black Ships" which arrived in 1853. An amazing, trailblazing account of one man's achievements and the intercultural communications he fostered, Native American In The Land Of The Shogun is an enthusiastically recommended addition to 19th Century Japanese History reference collections and reading lists.

Every now and then you pick up a book and think "Hmmm...that looks interesting." And then your world explodes.

"Native American in the Land of the Shogun" is just such a book. At first glance, it appears to be a quirky story of a stranger in a strange land, something along the lines of Lafcadio Hearn or Donald Richie, foreigners who made their home in a country notoriously shy of foreigners. But Ranald MacDonald's story is much more interesting, full of adventure and daring do that would hardly be believable if found in a fiction novel.

At that time Japan was a mysterious land, due to the sakoku laws which stated that foreigners could not enter Japan under penalty of death. Spurred by curiosity and a love of adventure, as well as his belief that his own Native American ancestors had evolved from shipwrecked Japanese sailors who drifted to the North American continent, Ranald MacDonald conceived a wild plan of purposely scuttling his boat off the shores of Hokkaido so he could appear as a shipwreck victim and hopefully be rescued instead of sentenced. Once there, he counted on his semi-Asiatic appearance and easy-going nature to protect him and hopefully convince the Japanese of his value as an English interpreter and teacher. Imprisoned in Nagasaki, he taught English for seven months, and his students, the only English speakers in all of Japan, were able to translate for Commodore Matthew Perry when he came to force open the closed doors of Japan. How differently things would have played out if Ranald MacDonald had been unsuccessful in his mad scheme!

Amazing as it seems, Ranald MacDonald has faded from the eye of history, never receiving credit for his lynchpin role in history. In this book, Frederik L. Schodt seeks to pluck this incredible man from obscurity and let his story be told in full. "Native American in the Land of the Shogun" is a dense history book, setting the stage for MacDonald with a detailed study of the Hudson's Bay Company role in the Oregon Territories, or which MacDonald's father was Chief Factor. From there, he traces MacDonald's boyhood, education, disappointments and the discrimination he faced as an half-Chinook. The road to Japan is laid clear, going from New York, to Hawaii, to the Sea of Japan on a whaling ship, as well as his eventual return home and statement before Congress on the nature of Japan and the Japanese people.

Richly detailed and captivating written, after reading "Native American in the Land of the Shogun" and hearing the story of Ranald MacDonald one wants to become an apostle, retelling his story to everyone willing to listen. This is definitely a book that I will be recommending from now on to anyone with an interest in Japan, or anyone who likes to read about fascinating characters that changed the world in a very small but important way, just because they wanted to.

In 1848 a 24-year-old young man left an American whaling ship off the coast of Hokkaido. In a tiny boat he made his way alone to a Japan that had been closed off to the outside world for over two hundred years. The man was Ranald MacDonald, a half-Chinook, half-Scot who was following his dream of entering Japan to become an interpreter and English teacher.
The first third of Schodt's definitive biography of this true-life adventurer covers Ranald's childhood and youth growing up on the coast of the Pacific Northwest, where he first heard the stories of the "three Kichis", 3 Japanese who had landed on the Pacific coast of North America a few years before. As part of the Japanese government's policy of seclusion, it was illegal to build vessels capable of ocean voyages, consequently many boats encountered storms and drifted out to sea, unable to navigate back to port. Numerous boats drifted for months, and the lucky ones were picked up, usually by whaling ships, and dropped off at Hawaii or the west coast of America.
To fulfill his dream, Ranald became a whaler, because at the time it was the whaling fleets that were having increasing contact with the mysterious closed-off Japan. After finally arriving off the coast of Hokkaido, MacDonald was promptly arrested and held for a while before being taken to Nagasaki to await deportation. While imprisoned in Nagasaki he befriended his jailers and interrogators, and secretly kept notes on the Japanese language and customs which later proved useful to the Americans negotiating with Japan after Perry's famous "Black Ships" encounter in the 1850s. His main interrogator also became the Japanese govenment's chief translator for Perry's mission.
A fascinating look at a little-known personality and adventurer who as an individual helped in the opening of Japan, the author has thoroughly researched the story both in Japan and the U.S., and the book is useful for the details and glimpses it provides of Japan in a time of change.

History has many key players and contributors to the narrative. And as new information is found, there is room to allow the unheard actors' voices and stories to be told to a generation that has never read their experiences. NATIVE AMERICAN IN THE LAND OF THE SHOGUN: RANALD MACDONALD AND THE OPENING OF JAPAN is a good example to how those who read and write about history tend to overlook particular individuals who may not have been leaders or dignitaries. Ranald MacDonald may have not have been president or delegate to a state, but he was an extraordinary man that has a place in American and Asian history because he represents a person who happened to be in a place during a time of transition where trade and public relations were beginning to develop between America and Japan.

Ranald MacDonald was a mix blood Native American, half Chinook and half Scot, who had an essential role in opening Japan's doors to the western world. Based on MacDonald's 1923 posthumous autobiography and a lengthy list of primary documents, especially MacDonald's letters, Frederik L. Schodt writes a compelling narrative about MacDonald's life and his involvement with the trade industry and his travels to Japan, which could not have been possible without his lively adventurous spirit during the most exciting periods in US history as it was expanding its trading endeavors to the East. MacDonald's contributions and participation with the Hudson Bay Company, a trading company in the Pacific Northwest that is closely associated with the historic British East India Company, was one of his links to reaching Asia. This is a uniqe retelling of a part of history that many people do not even know existed, but Schodt puts together his narrative like a jigsaw puzzle with the people and events that appear to excessively revolve around MacDonald's story. As a result, there are several portions of the history that overshadows MacDonald's role, and his story gets lost within the shuffle of events; questions arise where there are missing links to what may have occurred, such as the significance of MacDonald and the Lahaina Islands of Hawaii as well as a long list of references that appear detached to MacDonald's story.

But one of the insightful chapters of the book was the discussion of MacDonald's contact with the Ainu people of Japan, the indigenous inhabitants of the Rishiri Islands. The people of the island held MacDonald with high regard and dedicated a museum in his honor. In addition, it is also refreshing to read the accounts by individuals from the Congregational Missionary, such as Samuel C. Damon who wrote an article about MacDonald's adventures and associates the historical importance to the "opening" of the doors to the East to the West at the time when Japan was maintaining isolationism within its ports. But Damon emphasized that attempts were being made, prior to Commodore Perry's excursion, with Commodore Biddle and the USS Columbus in 1846 with hopes that trade would reoccur.

NATIVE AMERICAN IN THE LAND OF THE SHOGUN is a daring narrative that challenges history and shapes how it is told. Schodt places great emphasis on the significance of how a bridge was built between East and West, especially as it relates to one individual, Ranald MacDonald who happened to help translate English for the Japanese people as well as cultivate relations between America and Japan.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (8/06)

In 1848, at the age of twenty-four, MacDonald risked his life to follow a dream. MacDonald purposefully shipwrecked off the cost of feudal Japan. The country had rigid policies prohibiting contact with foreigners. How he envisioned and accomplished this adventure and the significance to us today is the premise of this book. Frederik L. Schodt has compiled and written this definitive biography of Ranald MacDonald in an effort to sort out "myth and speculation from fact."

Schodt provides insight into the background of Japan's seclusion laws of the mid 19th century which includes the impact Ranald MacDonald made while being detained in Japan. Serving as an interpreter and teaching English to Japanese leaders played a part in the opening of Japanese-American relations, and intercultural communications.

Ranald's mother a Chinook princess died shortly after his birth in February 1824. Ranald had Chinook Indian and Scottish origins. The author describes Ranald as being, "...a man of superior intelligence, possessing a phenomenal memory and an absolutely fearless spirit...he genuinely enjoyed people...displays a wonderful sense of humor...and had a rare ability to attract people from broad walks of life."

Frederic L. Schodt has been meticulous in his background research. This has been a complex undertaking as earlier writings have often been incomplete and conflicting. Excerpts from correspondence between Archibald MacDonald and his peer's trace the early years and progress of Ranald's education. "Like many sons, Ranald MacDonald did not turn out the way his father anticipated. He was determined to follow his own dreams, in his own way."

Word pictures and photos help the reader visualize the picturesque setting for this important narrative on the explorations and settlement of the Pacific Northwest, the whaling industry, and 19th Century Japan. Schodt introduces the importance of Hawaii's position as a trade link, and includes the vital insight into British, Dutch, and Russian attempts at breaking Japan's isolation policies. Drawing from Ranald's own published autobiography, newspaper articles, historical archives, and earlier biographical renderings - Schodt has constructed this masterful volume.

Of particular interest to me was the account of MacDonald's experience in teaching English and learning Japanese during his time in Nagasaki. The fruit of this ability and opportunity later served Japan well in negotiating with English-speaking visitors including Commodore Perry in 1853. "The Perry expedition eventually resulted in commercial treaty between Japan and the United States, and became the catalyst for the collapse of the Shogunate ...and the eventual transformation of Japan from a feudal to a modern state."

Schodt has written extensively on Japanese culture and U. S./Japan relations. This account incorporates Japanese history with biographical material on Ranald MacDonald.

Schodt's work is a major contribution to the accurate reporting of the life and history of a "Native American in the Land of the Shogun."

Received book free of charge.