Modern Japanese Diaries: The Japanese at Home and Abroad as Revealed Through Their Diaries

by Donald Keene

A collection of journals written by Japanese men and women who journeyed to America, Europe, and China between 1860 and 1920. The diaries faithfully record personal views of the countries and their cultures and sentiments that range from delight to disillusionment.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Donald Keene was a renowned American-born Japanese scholar, translator, and historian of Japanese literature. Born in Brooklyn in 1922, he developed a love for foreign cultures early in life. He graduated from Columbia University in 1942 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he studied Japanese at the Navy Language School. After the war, he returned to Columbia for his master’s and later earned a second master’s at Cambridge, followed by a PhD from Columbia in 1949. He studied further at Kyoto University and became a leading authority on Japanese literature.
Keene taught at Columbia University for over fifty years and published extensively in both English and Japanese, introducing countless readers to Japanese classics. His mentors included Ryusaku Tsunoda and Arthur Waley, whose translations deeply influenced him. After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Keene retired from Columbia, moved to Japan, and became a Japanese citizen under the name Kīn Donarudo. He was awarded the Order of Culture in 2008, the first non-Japanese recipient. Keene remained active in literary and cultural life in Japan until his death in 2019 at the age of 96.

Reviews

[Kennji · Rating 4 out of 5]

my dad gave me this book and had been pestering me to read it. it was actually really interesting. i learned quite a bit about these western 'barbarians' and their insistence on bringing wives to official functions. Imagine that - women allowed in polite company.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally I struggle with non-fiction, but this collection of excerpts from Japanese diaries is an excellent primer on Japanese history spanning from 1860-1920. Chapters are divided by diarist background (early missions to foreign countries, travelers in Asia, writers abroad, diaries by politicians and women, and finally the early 20th century).

Donald Keene does an outstanding job editing and presenting interesting works, but I would have appreciated being told a few times less that many chroniclers asked that their diaries be burned (he must have mentioned it at least six times).

[Gwern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moved to gwern.net.

[twilightsprincess · Rating 5 out of 5]

ついに読み終わった！面白かったよ！明治時代にこの実記について本だ。ドナルド・キーンは彼の考えとか意見を書いたから大切な本だと思う。だからおすすめだよー
Finally finished this book! It was really interesting! It's diaries of the Meiji Period (around then). Donald Keene wrote of his thoughts and opinions which is why I think this book is important. So I definitely recommend!