Böcker av Basil Hall Chamberlain

In 1873 Basil Hall Chamberlain (1850-1935) arrived in Japan, where he taught English. A brilliant linguist, he quickly learned Japanese, and in 1886 he became professor of Japanese and philology at the Imperial University, Tokyo. This 1888 book gives both theoretical and practical instruction for the learner.

Basil Hall Chamberlain (1850-1935) first encountered Japan on a journey intended to promote the recovery of his health: he had suffered a nervous breakdown while working for Barings Bank. In May 1873, he arrived in Yokohama, and was immediately fascinated by traditional Japanese culture. The drive for modernisation had created a need for teachers of English, and Chamberlain was taken on as a tutor in the naval academy, at the same time studying the Japanese language to such good effect that in 1886 he was made professor of Japanese and philology of the Imperial University (later Tokyo University). This book, first published in 1890, and going into six editions over the next fifty years, is in the form of an encyclopaedia, with topics from 'abacus' to 'zoology'. It gives an affectionate account of aspects of Japanese culture which Chamberlain realised were disappearing under the relentless impact of Western influence.