Cover of A Diplomat in Japan
The inner history of the critical years in the evolution of Japan when the ports were opened and the monarchy restored, recorded by a diplomatist who took an active part in the events of the time, with an account of his personal experiences during that period

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A Diplomat in Japan The inner history of the critical years in the evolution of Japan when the ports were opened and the monarchy restored, recorded by a diplomatist who took an active part in the events of the time, with an account of his personal experiences during that period

Name: A Diplomat in Japan The inner history of the critical years in the evolution of Japan when the ports were opened and the monarchy restored, recorded by a diplomatist who took an active part in the events of the time, with an account of his personal experiences during that period
Author: Ernest Mason Satow

by Ernest Mason Satow

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Subjects

Japan -- Description and travel Satow, Ernest Mason, 1843-1929 Japan -- History -- Restoration, 1853-1870 Japan -- Foreign relations -- 1600-1868

In: Biographies·History - Other

Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #43541.

About this book

This work is a first‑hand diplomatic memoir by Sir Ernest Satow, the British minister who served in Japan during the pivotal years when the country opened its ports and restored imperial rule. The opening pages explain that Satow composed the initial portion between 1885 and 1887, drawing on an almost continuous diary kept from his departure in 1861, and later supplemented the text with journals, confidential prints, and letters to Sir Harry Parkes. The book is organized into thirty‑six detailed chapters that trace his career from a student interpreter in Edo to his participation in key events such as the bombardment of Kagoshima, the Bizen affair, and the Meiji Restoration, all illustrated with contemporary photographs and plans. The narrative begins with Satow’s youthful fascination with Japan, his competitive entry into the interpreter service, and his early experiences in Peking, setting the stage for the diplomatic and military episodes that follow.

Satow’s voice is that of a seasoned Victorian diplomat, earnest, meticulously descriptive, and occasionally reflective on the shortcomings of bureaucratic examinations. The prose combines formal reportorial detail with personal observation, offering a blend of political history, travelogue, and cultural commentary. Readers who appreciate scholarly accounts of 19th‑century East Asian politics, the mechanics of treaty negotiations, or the lived experience of a Western envoy in a rapidly modernising Japan will find this volume especially rewarding.

Who appears in this book

Ernest SatowMiddle‑aged Victorian gentleman, dark moustache, high‑collared coat, waistcoat, cravat, dignified bearing
Sir Harry ParkesBritish diplomat, silver‑threaded frock coat, crisp shirt, side‑burns, polished boots, authoritative expression

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