American Pioneers and the Japanese Frontier - (Contributions in Asian Studies) by Fumiko Fujita (Hardcover)

About the Book

In 1871-1882 fifty Americans, along with other foreign experts, were employed by the Japanese government to develop Japan's northern frontier, Hokkaido. Their work covered a wide scope of activities, from introducing Western agriculture and industry, constructing roads and a railroad, and surveying topography and mines, to establishing an agricultural college. While examining the overall undertaking, Professor Fujita specifically focuses on the prominent members who left copious private and public records. She thoroughly examines their ideas as well as their attitudes toward an alien culture. At the same time, she shows the Japanese responses to these experts and their alien culture.

This is the first booklength examination of a development project that, in many ways, approaches some of the twentieth century undertakings in scope and complexity. As such, it will be of interest to students and scholars of inter-cultural relations, and Japanese and American nineteenth-century history.

Book Synopsis

In 1871-1882 fifty Americans, along with other foreign experts, were employed by the Japanese government to develop Japan's northern frontier, Hokkaido. Their work covered a wide scope of activities, from introducing Western agriculture and industry, constructing roads and a railroad, and surveying topography and mines, to establishing an agricultural college. While examining the overall undertaking, Professor Fujita specifically focuses on the prominent members who left copious private and public records. She thoroughly examines their ideas as well as their attitudes toward an alien culture. At the same time, she shows the Japanese responses to these experts and their alien culture.

This is the first booklength examination of a development project that, in many ways, approaches some of the twentieth century undertakings in scope and complexity. As such, it will be of interest to students and scholars of inter-cultural relations, and Japanese and American nineteenth-century history.

Review Quotes

.,.".graceful account of American and Japanese collaboration on a shared enterprise."-American Historical Review

.,."the lessons to be drawn from this well-documented and perceptive book are certainly abundant."-Canadian Journal of History

?....graceful account of American and Japanese collaboration on a shared enterprise.?-American Historical Review

?...the lessons to be drawn from this well-documented and perceptive book are certainly abundant.?-Canadian Journal of History

?The advantage of this study lies in the fact that it concentrates on Americans in Hokkaido--that is, on a specific group of foreigners and a particular region. Fujita is, moreover, interested not only in what Americans contributed to Japan's rapid development in the Meiji period, but also on the particular experiences that Americans has in Japan in their interaction with Japanese and the effect that their Japanese experiences had on their own lives and careers.?-Pacific Historical Review

?The work's greatest value lies in the light it sheds on the nature of the Japanese-American relationship at its star, through its attention to the complex question of contact and communication between disparate cultures and its comparison of attitudes of both Japanese and American....it should be a valuable addition to any library collection on modern Japan.?-The Historian

...".graceful account of American and Japanese collaboration on a shared enterprise."-American Historical Review

..."the lessons to be drawn from this well-documented and perceptive book are certainly abundant."-Canadian Journal of History

"The work's greatest value lies in the light it sheds on the nature of the Japanese-American relationship at its star, through its attention to the complex question of contact and communication between disparate cultures and its comparison of attitudes of both Japanese and American....it should be a valuable addition to any library collection on modern Japan."-The Historian

"The advantage of this study lies in the fact that it concentrates on Americans in Hokkaido--that is, on a specific group of foreigners and a particular region. Fujita is, moreover, interested not only in what Americans contributed to Japan's rapid development in the Meiji period, but also on the particular experiences that Americans has in Japan in their interaction with Japanese and the effect that their Japanese experiences had on their own lives and careers."-Pacific Historical Review

About the Author

FUMIKO FUJITA is Professor of American History at Tsuda College, Tokyo, and an expert on US-Japanese relations.