A Cultural History of Translation in Early Modern Japan

The translation of texts has played a formative role in Japan's history of cultural exchange as well as the development of literature, and indigenous legal and religious systems. This is the first book of its kind, however, to offer a comprehensive survey of the role of translation in Japan during the Tokugawa period, 1600-1868. By examining a wide range of translations into Japanese from Chinese, Dutch and other European texts, as well as the translation of classical Japanese into the vernacular, Rebekah Clements reveals the circles of intellectual and political exchange that existed in early modern Japan, arguing that, contrary to popular belief, Japan's 'translation' culture did not begin in the Meiji period. Examining the 'crisis translation' of military texts in response to international threats to security in the nineteenth century, Clements also offers fresh insights into the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868. Translation, In One Form Or Another, Has Been Present In All Major Exchanges Between Cultures In History. Japan Is No Exception, And It Is Part Of The Standard Narrative Of Japanese History That Translation Has Played A Formative Role In The Development Of Indigenous Legal And Religious Systems As Well As Literature, From Early Contact With China To The Present-day Impact Of World Literatures In Japanese Translation. Yet Translation Is By No Means A Mainstream Area Of Study For Historians Of Japan And There Are No Monograph-length Overviews Of The History Of Pre-modern Japanese Translation Available In Any Language-- Cover; Half-title Page; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Contents; Figures; Tables; Acknowledgements; A Note On Dates, Transliteration, And Names; Introduction; 1 Language And Society In Tokugawa Japan ; 2 Classical Japanese Texts ; 3 'chinese' Texts ; 4 Translation Of Western Languages ; 5 Late Tokugawa 'crisis Translation' ;conclusion; References; Index Of Names; Index Of Titles; Index Of Subjects Rebekah Clements. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The translation of texts has played a formative role in Japan's history of cultural exchange as well as the development of literature, and indigenous legal and religious systems. This is the first book of its kind, however, to offer a comprehensive survey of the role of translation in Japan during the Tokugawa period, 1600-1868. By examining a wide range of texts that were translated into Japanese from Chinese merchants, Jesuit missionaries and Dutch traders, as well as the translation of classical Japanese into the vernacular, Rebekah Clements reveals the circles of intellectual and political exchange that took place in pre-modern Japan and that contrary to popular belief, Japan's 'translation' culture did not begin in Meiji. By examining the 'crisis translation' of military texts in response to international threats to security in the nineteenth century, the book also offers fresh insights into the overthrow of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868 "Translation, in one form or another, has been present in all major exchanges between cultures in history. Japan is no exception, and it is part of the standard narrative of Japanese history that translation has played a formative role in the development of indigenous legal and religious systems as well as literature, from early contact with China to the present-day impact of world literatures in Japanese translation. Yet translation is by no means a mainstream area of study for historians of Japan and there are no monograph-length overviews of the history of pre-modern Japanese translation available in any language"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Half-title Page 3 Title Page 5 Copyright Page 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Figures 10 Tables 11 Acknowledgements 12 A note on dates, transliteration, and names 14 Introduction 15 1 Language and society in Tokugawa Japan 30 2 Classical Japanese texts 61 3 ‘Chinese’ texts 108 4 Translation of Western languages 155 5 Late Tokugawa ‘crisis translation’ 191 Conclusion 226 References 244 Index of names 276 Index of titles 280 Index of subjects 287 A comprehensive cultural history of translation in Japan during the Tokugawa period, 1600-1868. By examining a wide range of texts that were translated into Japanese from Chinese merchants, Jesuit missionaries and Dutch traders, Rebekah Clements sheds new light on the circles of intellectual and political exchange in early modern Japan. This book offers the first cultural history of translation in Japan during the Tokugawa period, 1600-1868