Kume Kunitake

Matthew Perry in reverse. In 1871 the Japanese government sent an “embassy” to the West under Prince Iwakura. “Embassy” is in quotes here because the exact status of Prince Iwakura’s mission was ambiguous. Many of the Western countries involved expected an “embassy” by Western standards – that Iwakura would have the power to negotiate diplomatic and trade treaties. The Japanese saw it more as a fact-finding and observational mission – in perhaps stereotypical Japanese fashion Iwakura expected to have discussions that might lead to negotiations that might lead to treaties. At any rate, the embassy/mission/study group/whatever included 108 people, one of whom was Kume Kunitake, Prince Iwakura’s secretary, and Kume kept a diary of the trip, which makes for fascinating reading – we get to see ourselves as others saw us.


Kume was a highly intelligent observer and some of his observations are enlightening:


*“The defects in the American character are that the people make light of public authority, resulting in laws having little effect and individuals asserting their own rights.”


*(Still in America) “When we examined machines made here, there operation was speedy and their design astonishingly innovative; many of them gladden the heart… However, the one defect they have in common is that they are rather rough-and-ready in construction. Compared with German precision, British quality or French elegance, they must inevitably be called ‘unrefined’ and rather crude.”


*(In Salt Lake City, while snowed in for a couple of weeks) “There are said to be no more than 200,000 Mormon believers in all, and yet they have built their great Tabernacle in the midst of a mountainous wilderness. It can easily be deduced that Western people who are religious believers give generously to build their temples.”


*(In Washington DC) “In America, women are not forbidden from entering government buildings. Indeed, at both the navy and the army academies, women gathered to watch the drills…This is a custom of republican political systems.”


*(still in Washington) “Among these differing, by far the strangest was the social relations between men and women. In conjugal and family relations in Japan, a wife is dutiful to her mother- and father-in-law, and children show respect to their parents. In America, however, it is custom for the husband to serve his wife. This may involve carrying her lantern or shoes, offering her delicacies, dusting off her garments, helping her when she boards or alights from a carriage, pushing her chair forward when she sits, or carrying articles for her when she is walking. If the husband senses even the slightest displeasure from his wife, he demonstrates his love and respect by bowing and apologizing. If the apology is not accepted, he may be sent out of the room and cannot even eat.”


Just a small sampling, and just of the stuff from America (which makes up about half the book). Full of marvelous little thought-provoking anecdotes. I have no idea how much the editors contributed – but the language is idiomatic English with just enough idiosyncrasy to give the flavor of another language. Highly recommended.… (meer)