Takashi Tsutsumi

A Study of the Characteristics of Tourist Guidebooks about Japan in English for Foreigners in the Meiji Era (1868-1912)

This paper aims to clarify the following 3 points through the analysis of the Tourist Guidebooks for foreigners written in English which are published in Meiji era; 1) the history of publishing tourist guidebooks, 2) which touristic sights are introduced with what kind of view, and how they are presented, 3) the difference among the authors. The conclusions are as follows; 1) There are 3 types in the guidebook according to the author’s nationality and author’s character, such as, private publisher or public organization’s one. 2) In the ‘A Handbook for Travellers in central and Northern Japan’ and ‘Tourist’s guide and interpreter’, there is much explanation of natural resources. The same tendency is seen in cultural resources which indicates that foreign travellers were interested in the history before Meiji era. 3) Hot spring sights are introduced as a suite points for western activities, and there is no description about Japanese traditional appreciation style for scenic areas, although there is few description about the Japanese traditional tourist style. 4) As a diplomatic policy, the public organization promoted the inbound tourism by showing Japan as a modern nation in the ‘The Japan guide’.