Morton White, one of America’s most distinguished andintellectual historians, was among the first Western academics invitedto Japan after the Pacific War. With his wife and co- author Lucia, hefirst went there in 1952 and subsequently made four more trips, thelast one in 1979. During these visits the Whites became friendly withmany Japanese intellectuals and their families and were able to observeJapan and Japanese life during a crucial part of this century.
Through personal reminiscences based on their journals andcorrespondence, the Whites introduce the reader to the greatintellectual, social, and economic changes that took place in Japanduring the nearly thirty-year span of their visits. They providepenetrating sketches of the personalities and attitudes of an importantgroup of Japanese academics -- leaders who acted against the prevailingopinion to introduce well-known intellectuals from the United States tohelp break down the stereotypes created by World War II. Reflecting onthe changing trends and practices of the Japanese philosophers, theWhites note the gradual shift in orientation from the European to theAmerican tradition in philosophy and comment on how this producedtensions in the Japanese philosophers who lived through it -- issues ofgreat interest both for students of the history of philosophy and foranyone interested in the spread of American influence.
Outside the precincts of the universities, the Whites are keenobservers of a culture they have come to respect and admire. Thedelicacy of Japanese social arrangements, the importance of“face,” the self-consciously problematic position of women inJapanese society, as well as the intricate web of courtesy are givenlife through many insightful examples.
In the book’s final chapter, the Whites ponder upon thingsJapanese they have yet to understand and how their visits have madethem more conscious of their own cultural tradition and what theyperceive as its deficiencies.
Journeys to the Japanese both entertains and informs aboutan important period and significant individuals in Japanese history. Itis an affecting account of how lasting international sympathy andunderstanding can be nourished by encouraging cultural exchange andpersonal friendship.
