American Pioneers and the Japanese Frontier: American Experts in Nineteenth-Century Japan (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780313287886)

In 1871-1882 fifty Americans, along with other foreign experts, were employed by the Japanese government to develop Japan's northern frontier, Hokkaido. Their work covered a wide scope of activities, from introducing Western agriculture and industry, constructing roads and a railroad, and surveying topography and mines, to establishing an agricultural college. While examining the overall undertaking, Professor Fujita specifically focuses on the prominent members who left copious private and public records. She thoroughly examines their ideas as well as their attitudes toward an alien culture. At the same time, she shows the Japanese responses to these experts and their alien culture.

This is the first booklength examination of a development project that, in many ways, approaches some of the twentieth century undertakings in scope and complexity. As such, it will be of interest to students and scholars of inter-cultural relations, and Japanese and American nineteenth-century history.

Author: Fumiko Fujita
ISBN-10: 0313287880
ISBN-13: 9780313287886
Publisher: Praeger
Language: English
Published: 08/30/1994
Pages: 208
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.60h x 6.38w x 0.84d