The Mikado's Empire
Cambridge Library Collection - East and South-East Asian History Series

A respected authority on Japan, William Elliot Griffis (1843?1928) did much to foster understanding between the United States and Japan in the late nineteenth century. This was his most popular work on the subject. It is arranged in two sections, with maps and illustrations throughout. The first part is a detailed history of Japan from 660 BCE, covering factual events as well as mythological elements of the Japanese past. This is followed by a personal account of the four years Griffis lived in Japan, during which the country underwent significant modernisation. Highly successful, the work went through twelve editions following its initial publication in 1876. It is reissued here in its second edition of 1877 and features improvements, such as the addition of content in the appendices and footnotes, made in response to comments by critics. Giffis' Corea, the Hermit Nation (1882) is also reissued in this series.

Preface; Preface to the second edition; Part I. History of Japan from 660 BC to 1872 AD: 1. The background; 2. The aborigines; 3. Materials of history; 4. Japanese mythology; 5. The twilight of fable; 6. Sujin, the civilizer; 7. Yamato-dake, the conqueror of the Kuanto; 8. The introduction of continental civilization; 9. Life in ancient Japan; 10. The ancient religion; 11. The throne and the noble families; 12. The beginning of military domination; 13. Yoritomo and the Minamoto family; 14. Creation of the dual system of government; 15. The glory and the fall of the Hojo family; 16. Buddhism in Japan; 17. The invasion of the Mongol Tartars; 18. The temporary Mikadoate; 19. The war of the chrysanthemums; 20. The Ashikaga period; 21. Life in the middle ages; 22. The growth and customs of feudalism; 23. Nobunaga, the persecutor of the Buddhists; 24. Hideyoshi's enterprises; 25. Christianity and foreigners; 26. Iyeasu, the founder of Yedo; 27. The perfection of duarchy and feudalism; 28. The recent revolutions in Japan; Part II. Personal Experiences, Observations, and Studies in Japan, 1870–5: 1. First glimpse of Japan; 2. A ride on the Tokaido; 3. In Tokio, the eastern capital; 4. Sights and sounds in a pagan temple; 5. Studies in the capital; 6. Among the men of new Japan; 7. In the heart of Japan; 8. Reception by the Daimio; 9. Life in a Japanese house; 10. Children's games and sports; 11. Household customs and superstitions; 12. The mythical zoology of Japan; 13. Folk-lore and fireside stories; 14. Japanese proverbs; 15. The last year of feudalism; 16. A tramp through Japan; 17. The position of woman; 18. New Japan; Notes and appendices; Index.