The Western World and Japan, a Study in the Interaction of European and Asiatic Cultures.

by George Bailey Sansom

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Genres: Japan, History, Japanese History, Asia, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Sir George Bailey Sansom GBE KCMG was a British diplomat and historian of pre-modern Japan, particularly noted for his historical surveys and his attention to Japanese society and culture.

Reviews

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Sansom surveys the Meiji period and how contact with the west transformed Japan into the global superpower they became in the 30s. As I had described before, the schizophrenia of feeling both superior to other cultures by their uniqueness and yet inferior because of their sudden realisation of how far behind they had fallen technologically inspired them to send hundreds of Japanese abroad to learn as much as they could about the west. This is how my favourite Japanese author, Natsume Soseki, ended up in London. Their return to Japan lead to an astonishing period of industrialisation which had tragic consequences for China and other parts of Asia leading eventually to WW II and the nuclear catastrophes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This book is an excellent view of this period of incredibly rapid change and its far-ranging consequences.

[Jimmy Wyllie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tome toppled! This is one of the best history books I’ve read. Sansom writes this history in a way that is easily accessible and understandable, which was not the case in other books I’ve read by him. Chapters are broken down into different sections which also help in making sense of the vast amount of content being delivered. Perfect for anyone looking to develop an understanding of Meiji Japan and the historical context that lead to it.