Japan The Place And The People Classic Reprint

Excerpt from Japan, the Place and the People Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States. The rapid progress which the Japanese Empire has made within a comparatively brief period seems to be a source of surprise to foreign observers. They apparently believe that Japan has sprung almost at a single bound from mediaeval barbarism to modern civilisation. Only two score and ten years ago Europeans and Americans had nothing but the vaguest ideas concerning the Empire and its people. It is perhaps natural that they should now be astonished when they behold Japan in full enjoyment of the comity of nations, amply proving her capacity to administer constitutional government and justifying her title to all international rights and privileges. Yet no edifice of any permanence can be built upon a foundation of sand. The present advance of Japan, however marvellous it may appear at first sight, is nothing more than the normal development of the national life, facilitated by favourable environment and accelerated by opportune circumstances. It seems unfortunate, however, that the exploits of arms which have marked her recent history should be apparently the principal cause of the world's discovery that her obscurity was undeserved; because it may very easily happen that in the over-zealous estimation of such martial achievements other and equally meritorious attributes of the empire's general progress will be either forgotten or ignored. The Japanese Empire had originally great advantages over other Asiatic States in several respects. Its foundation is peculiar and unique, and owes nothing to conquest or aggression. The Empire is established upon the concord of the governing and the governed: the boundless love and benevolent care of the Throne and the loyal deference and dignified obedience of the people. The lineal succession of one dynasty has continued unbroken for 2,560 years, from the coronation of the first Emperor down to the present sovereign, during which long period the country, though not quite free from occasional disturbances of its prosperity, has never been confronted by anything like revolution in its proper sense. Such a catastrophe as a Norman invasion or Napoleonic devastation has been unknown; nor has an English Commonwealth or French Directory ever been dreamed of. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Japan and Her People, Vol. 1 of 2 Every one who goes to Japan writes home at first on thin Japanese paper, unfolding yard after yard of the neat rolls, and measuring now and then, perhaps, to see how much one really has written. That is in the early days, when all seems half unreal, when one says. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Imperial Japan: The Country Its People A fourth opinion is possible, when Japan is no longer judged by its possibilities for furnishing new sensations, nor by our standards and its capacity to minister to our gain and needs, nor as an Oriental paradise where artistic and poetic fancies are realised, but as a part of our common humanity; or better, when it is not judged at all, but is studied that it may be understood. Such a purpose can be formed only as we surrender our axiom, for if the West cannot understand the East that is the end of it but at least the axiom can be accepted only when it is proved, and we may better begin with the more ancient phrase that nothing human is foreign to us. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Japan's Inheritance: The Country, Its People, and Their Destiny Wanted - the truth about Japan An American writer, after complaining of the world-wide false impression of Japan which has been given by the eclogues of European visitors, declares it to be the vital concern of his countrymen to know as much as possible of nothing but the truth. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Japan and Her People AT the present epoch events do not creep - do not even walk or run they devour space, like light or, like the electric flash, they astound us by their suddenness. Japan, the pink of the Pacific, has opened once more to the ravished and lusty eyes of the Western World. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Famous People of Japan: Ancient and Modern Anecdotes have been included for the reason that they sometimes throw more light on the character of the people referred to than a' mere recital of 'dry biographical facts. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Story of Japan Our nearest neighbor across the Pacific has been reckoned among the foremost nations of the earth ever since, in the late war with China, she humiliated that vast but inert empire. Japan will have a voice in the future destiny of Asiatic countries, and in that of the islands of the Pacific. Our schoolbooks on geography and general history touch but lightly upon the Japanese Empire, and it is for the purpose of enabling children to obtain a correct idea of the people, and of the impulses leading to the rapid progress of the past quarter of a century, that "The Story of Japan" has been written. It was deemed essential to explain repeatedly the key to the history of Japan and to the reforms of our time, by noticing the overpowering influence of the samurai of old, who were and still are the makers of the nation. With a very few exceptions, the nobles of Japan have been wholly dependent upon their leading samurai, who, in turn, have been influenced by the ablest of their peers. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from A History of the Japanese People From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era It is trite to remark that if you wish to know really any people, it is neces sary to have a thorough knowledge of their history, including their mythology, legends and folk-lore: customs, habits and traits of character, which to a superficial observer of a different nationality or race may seem odd and strange, sometimes even utterly subversive of ordinary ideas of morality, but which can be explained and will appear quite reasonable when they are traced back to their origin. The sudden rise of the Japanese nation from an insignificant position to a foremost rank in thercomitynof nations has startled the world. Except in the case of very, few who had-studied us intimately, we were a people but little raised above barbarism trying to imitate Western civilisation without any capacity for reallyassimilating-pr adapting it. At first, it was supposed that we had somehow undergone a sudden transformation, but it was gradually perceived that such could not-be. And was not the case; and a crop of books on Japan and the Japanese, deep and superficial, serious and fantastic, interest ing and otherwise, has been put forth for the benefit of those who were curious to know the reason of this strange phenomenon. But among so many books, there has not yet been, so far as I know, a history of Japan, although a study of its history was most essential for the proper understanding of many of the problems relating to the Japanese people, such as the relation of the Imperial dynasty to the people, the family system, the position of Buddhism, the influence of the Chinese philosophy, etc. A history of Japan of moderate size has indeed long been a desideratum; that it was not forthcoming was no doubt due to the want of a proper person to undertake such a work. Now just the right man has been found in the author of the present work, who, an Englishman by birth, is almost Japanese in his understanding of, and sympathy with, the Japanese people. It would indeed be difficult to find any one better fitted for the task by no means an easy one of presenting the general features of Japanese history to Western readers, in a compact and intelligible form, and at the same time in general harmony with the Japanese feeling. The Western public and Japan are alike to be congratulated on the production of the present work. I may say this without any fear of reproach for self-praise, for although my name is men tioned in the title-page, my share is very slight, consisting merely in general advice and in a few suggestions on some special points. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.