Japanophile
Encyclopedia
Japanophilia is an interest in, or love of, Japan
and anything Japanese; its opposite is Japanophobia
. One who has such an interest or love is a Japanophile. In Japanese, the term for Japanophile is from "親" , meaning pro- or for something, and "日" , meaning "day" or "sun", but used here to signify "Japanese" as in the word for Japan or "sun base" with "本" , meaning base, as in the expression "Land of the Rising Sun
".
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Carl Peter Thunberg
and Philipp Franz von Siebold
, who stayed in the Dutch outpost of Dejima
, helped introduce Japanese flora, artworks, and other objects to Europe. Some consider them to be among the earliest Japanophiles. (This was before the Meiji Restoration
in 1868, when Japan became more open to foreign trade.)
Lafcadio Hearn
, an Irish-Greek author who made his home in Japan in the 19th century, was described to be "a confirmed Japanophile" by Charles E. Tuttle Company
in their foreword to most of his books.
In the first decade of the 20th century, British writers were lauding Japan. In 1904, for example, Beatrice Webb
wrote that Japan was a "rising star of human self-control and enlightenment", praising the "innovating collectivism" of the Japanese, and the "uncanny" purposefulness and open-mindedness of its "enlightened professional elite". H. G. Wells
similarly named the élite of his A Modern Utopia
"samurai". In part this was a result of British industrial decline, with Japan and Germany rising at the same time. Germany was seen as a threat close to hand, but Japan was seen as an ally. The British sought efficiency as the solution, and after the publication of Alfred Stead's 1906 book Great Japan: A Study of National Efficiency, pundits in Britain looked to Japan for lessons. This interest ended with World War I
.
The United States
went through a similar period of Japanophilia starting in the 1980s, anticipated in the 1960s by the writing of Peter Drucker
, who pointed to the "consensual decision-making" in Japanese corporations and celebrated Japanese corporate management techniques (even claiming credit for giving this system to the Japanese via his books and seminars). During that period, American students took Japanese language classes with the hope of doing business with Japan. This was also a decade in which numerous shows from Japan, such as Voltron
, were being dubbed and shown on American television. Various American animated produced programs from the 1980s and 1990s were animated overseas in Japan. This phenomenon accelerated in the 1990s with shows like Power Rangers
(based on popular Japanese TV program series Super Sentai
), Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon
, Pokémon
and Digimon
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and anything Japanese; its opposite is Japanophobia
Anti-Japanese sentiment
Anti-Japanese sentiment involves hatred, grievance, distrust, dehumanization, intimidation, fear, hostility, and/or general dislike of the Japanese people and Japanese diaspora as ethnic or national group, Japan, Japanese culture, and/or anything Japanese. Sometimes the terms Japanophobia and...
. One who has such an interest or love is a Japanophile. In Japanese, the term for Japanophile is from "親" , meaning pro- or for something, and "日" , meaning "day" or "sun", but used here to signify "Japanese" as in the word for Japan or "sun base" with "本" , meaning base, as in the expression "Land of the Rising Sun
Names of Japan
There are many names of Japan in the English, Japanese, and other languages. The word "Japan" is an exonym, and is used by a large number of languages. The Japanese names for Japan are Nippon and Nihon . They are both written in Japanese using the kanji 日本...
".
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg aka Carl Pehr Thunberg aka Carl Per Thunberg was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. He has been called "the father of South African botany" and the "Japanese Linnaeus"....
and Philipp Franz von Siebold
Philipp Franz von Siebold
Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold was a German physician and traveller. He was the first European to teach Western medicine in Japan...
, who stayed in the Dutch outpost of Dejima
Dejima
was a small fan-shaped artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634. This island, which was formed by digging a canal through a small peninsula, remained as the single place of direct trade and exchange between Japan and the outside world during the Edo period. Dejima was built to...
, helped introduce Japanese flora, artworks, and other objects to Europe. Some consider them to be among the earliest Japanophiles. (This was before the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
in 1868, when Japan became more open to foreign trade.)
Lafcadio Hearn
Lafcadio Hearn
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...
, an Irish-Greek author who made his home in Japan in the 19th century, was described to be "a confirmed Japanophile" by Charles E. Tuttle Company
Tuttle Publishing
Tuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions...
in their foreword to most of his books.
In the first decade of the 20th century, British writers were lauding Japan. In 1904, for example, Beatrice Webb
Beatrice Webb
Martha Beatrice Webb, Lady Passfield was an English sociologist, economist, socialist and social reformer. Although her husband became Baron Passfield in 1929, she refused to be known as Lady Passfield...
wrote that Japan was a "rising star of human self-control and enlightenment", praising the "innovating collectivism" of the Japanese, and the "uncanny" purposefulness and open-mindedness of its "enlightened professional elite". H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
similarly named the élite of his A Modern Utopia
A Modern Utopia
A Modern Utopia is a work of fiction by H. G. Wells.* H. G. Wells's proposal for social reform was the formation of a world state, a concept that increasingly occupied him throughout the remainder of his life...
"samurai". In part this was a result of British industrial decline, with Japan and Germany rising at the same time. Germany was seen as a threat close to hand, but Japan was seen as an ally. The British sought efficiency as the solution, and after the publication of Alfred Stead's 1906 book Great Japan: A Study of National Efficiency, pundits in Britain looked to Japan for lessons. This interest ended with World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
went through a similar period of Japanophilia starting in the 1980s, anticipated in the 1960s by the writing of Peter Drucker
Peter Drucker
Peter Ferdinand Drucker was an influential writer, management consultant, and self-described “social ecologist.”-Introduction:...
, who pointed to the "consensual decision-making" in Japanese corporations and celebrated Japanese corporate management techniques (even claiming credit for giving this system to the Japanese via his books and seminars). During that period, American students took Japanese language classes with the hope of doing business with Japan. This was also a decade in which numerous shows from Japan, such as Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
, were being dubbed and shown on American television. Various American animated produced programs from the 1980s and 1990s were animated overseas in Japan. This phenomenon accelerated in the 1990s with shows like Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
(based on popular Japanese TV program series Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
), Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
, Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
and Digimon
Digimon
, short for , is a Japanese media franchise encompassing digital toys, anime, manga and video games. The franchise's eponymous creatures are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.-Conception and...
.