At the close of the 19th century, Japan remained a mysterious, isolated land to much of the Western world. In 1889, Greek-Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn became one of the first Westerners to document life in Meiji Era Japan firsthand when he settled in the country to teach English.
In Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan, Hearn captures his fascinating early impressions of Japanese culture, traditions, and remarkable people. He recounts details both quaint and surprising-paper windows, communal bath houses, the lives of dancers, feather artisans, and blind masseurs-with poetic observation and insight gained from integrating into Japanese society as his perspective gradually shifts from that of a Westerner abroad to a Japanese local.
From musings on Shinto death rituals to tales of vengeful ghosts, Hearn entrances readers with Japan's unique spiritual relationship to nature, ancestry, and the supernatural. At times displaying Western attitudes, yet more progressive than many of his era, Hearn develops an affectionate appreciation of Japan. His vivid travel writing captures striking aspects of a nation slowly emerging from centuries of isolation into the 20th century.
Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan was originally published in two volumes; this edition presents the entire work in one, including the author's explanatory footnotes. The text is newly designed and typeset, printed on archival-quality, acid-free paper with case-laminate binding for durability and long use.