"A Fantasy of Far Japan; Or, Summer Dream Dialogues" by Kencho Suematsu invites readers on a captivating journey into the enchanting world of Japan through poetic dialogues. Suematsu's evocative prose transports readers to the vibrant landscapes, traditions, and mysteries of his homeland. The book weaves a tapestry of cultural exploration and imaginative storytelling, offering a unique glimpse into the allure of Far Eastern landscapes and traditions.
A companion volume to 'Baron Kaneko and the Russo-Japanese War' (Lulu.com, 2009), this book relates the story of Baron Suematsu's one-man campaign in Europe using the spoken and written word against the dangerous bogey of Yellow Peril which fueled European paranoia about China and Japan and their presumed sinister intentions of world domination. Kaneko and Suematsu had similar missions, though Kaneko who was sent to the United States was also tasked with persuading President Theodore Roosevelt to broker a peace settlement while Suematsu was more directly involved in the fight against Yellow Peril which originated in Europe. Kaneko was a lawyer with a knowledge of economics, while Suematsu was a historian with a literary bent. Both men were also politicians and close to the Meiji oligarch Ito Hirobumi. They were the two prongs of Japan's first ever public diplomacy initiative, and both succeeded to a considerable degree.
This book explores British reflections of Japanese education between 1858 and 1914, by referring to accounts by British observers, derived from documentary sources such as newspapers, journal articles, published books, and official reports. Hiraoka argues that British attitudes and comments on Japanese education reflect concerns about their own education system. International economics and politics of the time, as well as the voices of the Japanese, are also taken into account. British interpretations of the advantages of Japanese education are explained with two seemingly contradictory views: traditions inherited in Japan, and modern institutions newly introduced using the Western model. The book illustrates how this dual view of Japan affected the rise and fall of British interest in Japanese education over half a century. It also explores a broad range of phenomena – educational reforms, legislation and practice, science networks, exhibitions, international trade, and military affairs – to observe how Japanese education was viewed by the British. It consults a wide range of primary sources, most of which are published or digitally archived. Shedding new light on the transnational history of the educational relationship between Japan and Britain, this book will be an attractive base for future researchers in the fields of history of education, cultural history, and comparative education.
Provides an invaluable and very accessible addition to existing biographic sources and references, not least because of the supporting biographies of major writers and the historical and cultural notes provided.
