Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration [Paperback]

Marius B. Jansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0231101732 | ISBN-13: 978-0231101738

Jansen tells the story of the Restoration in the career and thought of Sakamoto Ryoma and, to a lesser extent, Nakaoka Shintaro, each an example of the new type of political leader: idealistic, individualistic, and patriotic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 423 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (April 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231101732
• ISBN-13: 978-0231101738
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem of History, February 27, 2004

By 

T. Hooper "thdizzy" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration (Paperback)

Who is Ryoma Sakamoto? He wasw a samurai in the middle of the nineteenth century. He is considered a hero by his native Japan. His story begins when Commodore Perry brings his American ships to open Japan by force. Many samurai were insulted by this gunboat diplomacy. Sakamoto was one among many who called for the government to expel these foreign interlopers. However, it was more easily said than done. As time passed, Sakamoto came to realize that Japan was in no position to challenge the West because the West had vastly superior weapons. He came to admire the position of strengthing the country through international trade and emulating those institutions that were admirable in the West. For Japan to defend itself, it had to become a strong country and the only was to do that was by modernizing. To modernize, the military government of the Shogun had to be overthrown. This leads to the Meiji Restoration in which the Emperor takes back the power to rule from the Shogun. Unfortunately, in the process, Sakamoto is assassinated, which made him a martyr for the process of modernization.

This book follows the events leading up to the Meiji Restoration, and it especially focuses on Sakamoto's role in setting it up. It provides an overview leading up to this period and shows that there were many factors which lead to the overthrow of the Shogun. Perry's arrival was only a trigger that unleashed years of frustration. To get a better grasp of Japanese politics, I think this book is an excellent source for understanding the founding of the modern Japanese state.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent writing and historical research, February 8, 2004

By 

lordhoot "lordhoot" (Anchorage, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration (Paperback)

This proves to be one of the better books on the Meiji Restoration movement and Sakamoto Ryoma who was the one of the primary movers of that movement as Japan moved to a more modern government and society. But I would be honest to say that this book is NOT for casual readers since the subject matter is so alien and complex to many English speaking readers. Meiji Restoration is a complex subject matter even for Japanese history students but Jansen should be credited for bringing such a matter to clearer light in his book.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ryoma!, June 24, 2001

By 

Aaron Larsen (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration (Paperback)

If you really want to understand Japan's amazing journey from feudal swordsman to world power in just 50 years... Then you need to learn something about the Meiji Restoration. If you want to learn about the Meiji Restoration... then you must spend some time learning about the life and times of Sakamoto Ryoma. Ryoma, as he is affectionately known by his adoring cult of fans in Japan, is a true legend in Japan, a sort of "Daniel Boone" of Japan, if you will. In spite of its age, Jansen's work is still the definitive biography in English, and is likely to remain so until America's interest in the outside world rises above its currently meager level. To be fair, doing Jansen one better would require an extensive knowledge of one of the world's most difficult languages, and why try when there are still so many corners of Modern Japanese history that are untouched by Western scholars? Do you want to get inside the head of a truly old-fashioned, "swashbuckling" hero who quite literally changed the world by contributing to Japan's entrance into the modern world? This, then, is still the place to start.