Chapter 5: "The history of Japan"

A book which keeps fascinating me...
Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey: Kaempfer’s Japan. Tokugawa Culture Observed
Early 2000 during a trip to Japan Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey’s new edition, translation and annotation of a book by Engelbert Kaempfer caught my attention. After going through this fascinating and very readable book with the Title ”Kaempfer’s Japan: Tokugawa Culture Observed”, it was discovered that the original edition is at the Iron Library. The original edition has the title “History of Japan” and comparing the two versions was great fun.

Books which will accompany me for some time:
Joseph Needham: Science and Civilisation in China
Joseph Needham’s ”Science and Civilisation in China”, of which the Iron Library has already 24 volumes, with further editions to be published in due course, Joseph Needham’s works represent without doubt the most comprehensive collection on historical aspects of Chinese culture. Joseph Needham (1900–1995) was basically a biologist but with very wide-ranging interests, he spent 1942–1946 in Chongqing and collected vast amounts of material which became the base for the above mentioned publication. As an introduction for the interested reader, I would recommend a Penguin book written by Simon Winchester with the title "Bomb, Book and Compass. Joseph Needham and the Great Secrets of China".

The book on my nightstand right now:
Kaoru Nonomura: Eat, Sit, Sleep. My year at the Japan’s most rigorous Zen Temple
It describes the story of a 30 year’s old designer, who disillusioned with the rat race as a salary man quits his employ to spend a year in one of Japan’s most strict Zen temples at Eiheiji, before re-entering the outside world again. The book describes his life and experience of his at the Eiheiji temple and gives the reader a unique insight into totally different world. At his time the book is available in English only.

Engelbert Kaempfer: The history of Japan: giving an account of the ancient and present state and government of that empire; of its temples, palaces, castles and other buildings; of its metals, minerals, trees, plants, animals, birds and fishes; of the chronology and succession of the emperors, ecclesiastical and secular; of the original descent, religions, customs, and manufactures of the natives, and of their trade and commerce with the Dutch and Chinese [...]. (London: Scheuchzer, 1727).

In 1690 he got his chance to go to Japan where he stayed in Nagasaki until 1692. At that time all foreigners had to stay on a very small island called Deshima, which was connected to the city of Nagasaki with a well garded bridge. Foreigners were not allowed to leave Deshima on the pain of death except for special occasions. During this period he made two trips to Edo (today’s Tokyo) with the Dutch delegation to pay tribute to the Shogun (which was the military leader of Japan) On these trips he wrote extensively and his notes and sketches form the basis for his “History of Japan”.
Due to his training in many topics such as mathematics, astronomy, natural science and medicine, Kaempfer must be seen as the first person with a scientific approach to countries in Asia which are very different from Europe. As a medical doctor he could help in many instances where the local medicine would not be sufficient and as a natural scientist gifted with an excellent observational capacity he did record everything with minute details. Even though the Shogunate (government) at the time was bent on not allowing any information on Japan to reach foreigners (it was strictly forbidden to make sketches on any military and other important buildings), Kaempfer made drawings to which he added the descriptions in Arabic and got away with it. The detailed information Kaempfer brought back from his trip to Japan was sensational in its wealth and accuracy. Based on his experience since childhood he was able to judge things for what they were and his original notes were not influenced by religious thinking prevalent at the time.

Sir Hans Sloane asked the young Swiss Johan Gaspar Scheuchzer to translate the collected informations on Japan into English. Since Scheuchzer was not a native English speaker, he often had to ask for advice. Because of this and the fact that Kaempfer wrote more positively about the Japanese than thinking at the time would allow, changes and even eliminations from the original observer’s notes were made: In particular comments on the behavior of the heathens and that some of their doings were quite reasonable (mainly concerning religious and legal questions). In 1727 when the History of Japan was published it became an immediate success and with 12 editions must be considered an absolute bestseller. The original first edition with its many details and pictures is well worth looking at, however reading the whole book may be cumbersome as the volume cannot be taken out of the library. The revised edition by Beatrice Bodart-Bailey contains most of the important descriptions and comments and is very easy to read. The only shortcoming perhaps is that not all of the pictures are included.