A Yankee in Hokkaido: The Life of William Smith Clark (Studies of Modern Japan) [Hardcover]

John M. Maki (Author), Brett L. Walker (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0739104179 | ISBN-13: 978-0739104170 | Publication Date: January 2003

William Smith Clark was in Hokkaido for only eight months but, as John Maki's fascinating biography shows, his influence has endured. A Yankee in Hokkaido places Clark's appointment to oversee the creation of the Sapporo Agricultural College within the context of the Meiji era's drive to modernize and Westernize Japan and to settle the island of Hokkaido. Maki recounts how Clark inspired his Japanese contemporaries with an idealistic vision of the future born in the United States of the late nineteenth century; with agricultural expertise and pedagogical initiatives; and with his devotion to the moral development of his students—men who would later number among the leaders of modern Japan. The work also offers the reader an intimate portrait of this extraordinary citizen of Massachusetts from childhood through Civil War action to the founding and running of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, known today as the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Well researched and poignantly written, Maki's memorable biography provides fresh insight into the enduring popularity of Clark and his seminal contribution to modern Japan. (Brett L. Walker, Montana State University, from the foreword )

About the Author

John M. Maki is Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has taught at the University of Washington and the Unviersity of Massachusetts. He was granted an honorary LL.D. from Hokkaido University in 1976 and in 1983 was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Lexington Books (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739104179
• ISBN-13: 978-0739104170
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,463,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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