There are two very important works not included in any of the lists, because they belong to almost all; they are omitted merely to avoid monotonous repetition. These two books of general reference are indispensable to the thorough student of Japan and the Japanese. Chamberlain’s “Things Japanese”[2] is the most convenient for general reference, and is a small encyclopædia. “The Mikado’s Empire,”[3] by Dr. Griffis, is a thesaurus of information about Japan and the Japanese.
After these, one may add to his Japanese library according to his special taste, although we think that Murray’s “Story of Japan,” also, should be in every one’s hands. Then, if one can afford to get Rein’s two exhaustive and thorough treatises, he is well equipped. And the “Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan” will make him quite a savant on Japanese subjects. It should be added, that those who have access to Captain Brinkley’s monumental work of eight volumes on Japan will be richly rewarded with a mine of most valuable information by one of the best authorities. “Fifty Years of New Japan” is valuable and unique, because it is written by Japanese, each an authority in his department.[4] For the latest statistics, “The Japan Year Book” is invaluable.
We had intended, but finally abandoned the attempt, to follow strictly one system of transliteration. Such a course would require the correction of quotations, and seemed scarcely necessary. Indeed, the doctors still disagree, and have not yet positively settled upon a uniform method of transliteration. After all, there is no great difference between Tōkiō and Tōkyō; kaisha and kwaisha; Iyeyasu and Ieyasu; Kyūshiu, Kiūshiu, Kyūshū, and Kiūshū. There is more divergency between Ryūkyū, Riūkiū, Liukiu, Luchu, and Loo Choo; but all are in such general use that it would be unwise, in a book like this, to try to settle a question belonging to specialists. The fittest will, in time, survive. We have, however, drawn the line on “Yeddo,” “Jeddo,” and similar archaisms and barbarisms, for which there is neither jot nor tittle of reason. But it is hoped that the varieties of transliteration in this book are too few to confuse.
The author is under special obligations to Professor J. H. Wigmore, formerly a teacher in Tōkyō, and now Dean of the Northwestern Law School, Chicago, for kind criticisms and suggestions; to Mr. Frederick W. Gookin, the art critic, of Chicago, for similar assistance, and for the chapter on “Æsthetic Japan,” which is entirely his composition; and also under general obligations for the varied assistance of many friends, too numerous to mention, in Japan and America. He has endeavored to be accurate, but doubts not that he has made mistakes. He only asks that the book be judged merely for what it claims to be,—a Handbook of Modern Japan.
Ernest Wilson Clement.
NOTE TO NEW REVISED EDITION
THE eight years which have elapsed since this book was revised have been so crowded with great events that another revision seems advisable in order to make the book yet more timely and as valuable as possible. Whenever it was practicable, the statements and statistics in both the body and the appendix of the book have been brought up to date. In some cases, but only a very few, it was impossible to alter the text without breaking up the paging; therefore the original text was allowed to stand, and the corrections have been indicated in notes or some other way. A new chapter, moreover, has been added, with new illustrations, and presents as concisely and yet as comprehensively as possible the facts which warrant its caption, “Greater Japan.”
Tōkyō, January, 1913.
CONTENTS
| Chapter | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| I. | Physiography | [1] |
| II. | Industrial Japan | [16] |
| III. | Travel, Transportation, Commerce | [29] |
| IV. | People, Houses, Food, Dress | [44] |
| V. | Manners and Customs | [60] |
| VI. | Japanese Traits | [76] |
| VII. | History (Old Japan) | [90] |
| VIII. | History (New Japan) | [102] |
| IX. | Constitutional Imperialism | [118] |
| X. | Local Self-Government | [133] |
| XI. | Japan as a World Power | [146] |
| XII. | Legal Japan | [159] |
| XIII. | The New Woman in Japan | [175] |
| XIV. | Language and Literature | [191] |
| XV. | Education | [209] |
| XVI. | Æsthetic Japan | [222] |
| XVII. | Disestablishment of Shintō | [237] |
| XVIII. | Confucianism, Bushidō, Buddhism | [250] |
| XIX. | Japanese Christendom | [262] |
| XX. | Twentieth Century Japan | [277] |
| XXI. | The Mission of Japan | [289] |
THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR | [305] | |
GREATER JAPAN | [329] | |
APPENDIX | [343] | |
INDEX | [415] | |