Mori Arinori's Life and Resources in America'Mori notes, 'Where men think that they know everything, and boast of their superior wisdom, the presumption is that they have yet much to learn.' . . . [T]oday's readers, whether in the United States, in Japan, or elsewhere, who may think they already know so much about the subject, will find much of value in Life and Resources in America.' --Akira Iriye, Harvard University, from the foreword Mori Arinori's Life and Resources in America was written by the young, educated ex-samurai the Japanese government selected as its first diplomatic representative in the United States. Originally published in English in Washington, D.C., in 1871, this book sheds much light on the shape of an American society, government, and economy recovering from the Civil War. Like earlier philosopher-tourists such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Harriet Martineau, Mori understands the United States as a stage upon which an important experiment in democracy, pluralism, and liberalism is unfolding. Life and Resources in America is distinct for its view from the Reconstruction period and by a non-European observer. Historian John E. Van Sant has annotated and lightly edited this uniquely illuminating text, making it readily accessible to the contemporary audience it deserves. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 65
Page xix
... ( the Kogisho ) that called for all samurai , with the exception of gov- ernment officials , to relinquish their swords . The sword was a prime symbol of the samurai , the elite warrior - protectors of East Meets West xix.
... ( the Kogisho ) that called for all samurai , with the exception of gov- ernment officials , to relinquish their swords . The sword was a prime symbol of the samurai , the elite warrior - protectors of East Meets West xix.
Page xxx
... called upon to do so . The nation - serving policies designed and adopted during his tenure as education minister ( 1885-1889 ) evolved into a reg- imented system that remained in force until the end of World War II . The con ...
... called upon to do so . The nation - serving policies designed and adopted during his tenure as education minister ( 1885-1889 ) evolved into a reg- imented system that remained in force until the end of World War II . The con ...
Page xxxvi
... called " Joseph Nees- ima " by his American friends . 41. On the other hand , in Democracy in America , Alexis de Tocqueville's many eloquent pages on religion in the United States do not indicate that he observed such hypocrisy . 42 ...
... called " Joseph Nees- ima " by his American friends . 41. On the other hand , in Democracy in America , Alexis de Tocqueville's many eloquent pages on religion in the United States do not indicate that he observed such hypocrisy . 42 ...
Page 1
... called Alleghany and Rocky Mountains . [ The coun- try's ] rivers are numerous , and among the largest in the world ; its lakes con- tain more than one - half of the fresh water on the globe . Its population , ac- cording to the census ...
... called Alleghany and Rocky Mountains . [ The coun- try's ] rivers are numerous , and among the largest in the world ; its lakes con- tain more than one - half of the fresh water on the globe . Its population , ac- cording to the census ...
Page 2
... called a Republican form of government , we confess that it is not without its disadvantages and dangers . For any foreign nation fully to understand them must require time and much careful study . The Japanese people have been somewhat ...
... called a Republican form of government , we confess that it is not without its disadvantages and dangers . For any foreign nation fully to understand them must require time and much careful study . The Japanese people have been somewhat ...
Contents
Official and Political Life | 5 |
Life among the Farmers and Planters | 15 |
Commercial Life and Developments | 31 |
Life among the Mechanics | 43 |
Religious Life and Institutions | 51 |
Life in the Factories | 69 |
Educational Life and Institutions | 81 |
Literary Artistic and Scientific Life | 93 |
Life in the Leading Cities | 119 |
Frontier Life and Developments | 129 |
Judicial Life | 135 |
Final Thoughts on America1 | 139 |
Religious Freedom in Japan | 141 |
The Religious Charter of the Empire of Dai Nippon | 149 |
Selected Bibliography | 151 |
155 | |
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Common terms and phrases
acres agricultural amount annual believe Bible called century chapter chargé d'affaires Charles Lanman chiefly Chinese Christ Christian church Circuit civilization claim College comfort commercial connected cotton coun culture daimyō District employed England established extensive fact factories farm farmers fifty foreign Fukuzawa Yukichi give houses hundred important inhabitants institutions Ivan Parker Iwakura embassy Iwakura Tomomi Japanese Japanese students jurisdiction known labor land large numbers largest late laws leading live manufacture Meiji Meiji era Meiji government Meiji Restoration ment merchants miles millions of dollars minister Mori Arinori Mori's nation Niijima persons political population productions published regard religion religious Resources in America Sakoku samurai Satsuma schools sect ships society Supreme Court Territories Thomas Lake Harris thousand dollars tion Tokugawa Tokugawa bakufu Tokyo total number trade true United University various Washington West Western women writing York