Advance Japan: a nation thoroughly in earnest

By Jonathan Morris

Book Overview

At the moment Japan steps into modern power, J. Morris looks closely - and refuses easy romance. Japan is changing before him. Advance Japan: a nation thoroughly in earnest is a classic travel writing work that reads like a historical nonfiction travelogue threaded with cultural commentary essays. Moving through Meiji era Japan and the early 20th century Japan that follows, Morris records what he sees in streets, homes, institutions and public life, attentive to japan society and customs as much as to politics. The result is brisk, observant prose and a sense of being present while japanese modernization and reform are still contested, practical, and unfinished. He notes detail, and keeps the pace. For readers of victorian travel literature, the book offers a revealing example of western views of japan - sympathetic at times, impatient at others - making it a valuable primary source account for anyone interested in Japan's encounter with global modernity. It also sits confidently as a public domain travel classic: part document, part opinion, and part snapshot of a country remaking itself. Accessible enough for curious armchair travellers, it is equally useful to japan studies students seeking period perspective and language unsoftened by hindsight. Collectors of classic travel writing will appreciate its place in the wider record of English-language observation in Asia. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today - a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9353709245
• ISBN13: 9789353709242
• Release Date: June 2019
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 518 Pages
• Weight: 1.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.5"