|
|
|
|
|
The Mikado
|
Item Code : BKS16
Artist / Cartographer : NA
Size: 275x220
Price: S$ 39.00
The forty years which began with the sudden appearance of Commodore Perry and his
naval squadron in Tokyo Bay in 1853, and culminated in the promulgation of the Meiji
Constitution in 1889, represent one of the most tumultuous and heroic periods in
Japanese history, as the Japanese struggled to adjust themselves to the new
challenges created by the Western impact. The events of these years are well
documented by all parties involved, but rarely presented through the eyes of the actual
participants themselves. The illustrations and extracts from the Illustrated London News,
supplemented by accounts from contemporary observers - diplomats, journalists,
travellers - provide us with an immediate picture of events as they unfolded and offer a
unique picture of what Japan was like for the foreigners the second half of the 19th
century. They also let us know what it was like to do business, travel and live in Japan,
and tell us of Japanese habits, customs, attitudes, and often to Westerners, hilarious
outer manifestations of the Japanese determination to catch up with western civilization
and meet it on terms of equality. They also reveal the great admiration which the
Japanese civilization evoked in the breasts of many Western observers, despite the
typically 19th century belief in their own superiority. 130pages 275x220mm Hardback
|
|
|
|
