An Analysis of Edward S. Morse's Japan Day by Day Karl Bazzocchi Mcgill University December, 2006
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A Westerner's Journey in Japan: An Analysis of Edward S. Morse's Japan Day By Day Karl Bazzocchi McGill University December, 2006 A thesis submitted to Mc Gill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts. © Karl Bazzocchi, 2006. 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The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. ln compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privée, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont été enlevés de cette thèse. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content fram the thesis. ••• Canada Table of Contents Acknowledgements 5 Abstract 6 Chapter 1 Introduction 7 1.1 Preface 7 1.2 Edward Sylvester Morse - The Contrarian 8 Chapter 2 Creating Japaneseness 14 2.1 Westernization of Japan during the Meiji Era 14 2.1.1 The Emperor 17 2.1.2 Institutionalized Central government 17 2.1.3 Organized local govemment 19 2.1.4 Military reform 19 2.1.5 Economic development 21 2.2 Education and culture 22 2.2.1 Education 22 2.2.1.1 Western influence 24 2.2.1.2 Mental and physical training 25 2.2.1.3 Higher education 27 2.2.1.4 Interaction with the West 28 2.2.2 Western Scholars in Japan 30 2.3 Creating Japaneseness 31 2.3.1 Cultural Nationalism 31 2.3.1.1 Moral teaching 32 2.3.1.2 Frustration ofChristianity 32 2.3.2 Japaneseness in Practice: colonialism 33 2.3.2.1 Japanese Colonialism in Taiwan: Assimilation and Imperialization 34 2.3.2.2 The Formation ofIdentity 35 2 2.3.3 Japan: East or West? 37 Chapter 3 Traveler as Anthropologist 40 3-1 The Joumey of Japan Day By Day 40 3.1.1 J apan: A Different but Understandable Country 41 3.1.2 Japanese Education 42 3.1.3 Japanese Intelligence 43 3.1.4 Japanese Aesthetics 45 3.1.5 Japanese Virtues 48 3.1.6 Japanese Gentleness 50 3.1. 7 J apanese Love for Nature 51 3.1.8 Japanese Social Justice 53 3.1.9 Japanese Superiority to the West 55 3.2 Other Travelogues 56 3.2.1 Isabella L. Bird: Unbeaten Tracks in Japan 57 3.2.2 Erwin Baelz: Awakening Japan: the Diary ofa German Doctor 61 3.2.3 Whose Japan? 64 3.3 Clifford Geertz: Symbolic Systems of Culture 65 3.3.1 Cultural symbols: System of Representation 65 3.3.2 Deep Meaning of Culture 66 3.3.3 Psychology of Cockfights 68 3.3.4 Culture as a Totality 70 3.4 Cultural Symbols in Japan 71 Chapter 4 The East versus the West 76 4.1 Edward Said: The Constructed Orient 76 4.1.1 Genealogy of Orientalism 77 4.1.2 Duality of Orientalism: Discourse and Materiality 79 4.1.2.1 Foucauldian View of Discourse 79 4.1.2.2 Gramscian View of Materialism: Modification of Mechanical Materialism 80 3 4.1.3 Pursuing Neutral Knowledge 82 4.2 Comparing Japan with the West 84 4.3 Michel Foucault: Power, Knowledge and Discourse 88 4.3.1 Discursive Regime 89 4.3.1.1 The Changing Truth 89 4.3.1.2 Power: Ruling Body 91 4.3.2 Certain Moments, Certain Events 92 4.3.3 Alternative Meaning Beyond Discourse 94 4.4 Alternative Reading of Japan Day by Day 96 Chapter 5 Conclusion 100 Bibliography 103 4 Acknowledgements 1 would like to take the opportunity to thank those pers ons without whom this thesis would never have been submitted. First of aIl, 1 would like to sincerely thank my supervisor Professor Yuzo Ota, of the Department of History at McGill University. His direction and advice helped me to more clearly formulate my ideas and lay out a coherent roadmap. 1 would also like to thank everyone at the Department of East Asian Studies at McGill University. The advice and guidance that 1 have received from so many of the professors over the last four years have provided me with a solid base from which 1 was able to tackle this project. 1 would also like to give a special thanks to Mrs. Suan Ong ofthe Department of East Asian Studies. She has been the epitome of patience and understanding for the five years that 1 have known her, and without her help this thesis would surely not have been possible. 5 Abstract Japan Day by Day- the Western Zoologist Edward S. Morse's account ofhis stay in Japan from 1877 to 1883- is analyzed by first comparing it to other contemporary travelogues written by western travelers to Japan, and then by viewing it through a more theoretical framework, inc1uding Edward Said's theory on post-colonialism and Michel Foucault's theory of discourse and body experiences. Viewed through this framework, the goal of analysis is not to test the validity ofMorse's writings, but to explore the formation ofhis interpretation of his experience in Japan. Japan Day by Day, le journal du zoologue Edward S. Morse pendant sa visite au Japon de 1877 a 1883, est analyse premièrement en faisant la comparaison, premièrement avec les racontes écrit par d'autres voyageurs étrangers qui ont visiter le Japon pendant la même période .Ensuite, la comparaison se fais a travers la théorie post coloniale de Edward Saïd, ainsi que la théorie de discours et expériences corporelles de Michel Foucault. Utilisant cette structure, le but de cette analyse n'est pas de mettre en question la validité des idées de Edward Morse, mais plutôt évaluer et explorer son interprétation de ses expériences au Japon. 6 A Westerner's Journey in Japan: An Analysis of Edward S. Morse's Japan Day By Day Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Preface Edward S. Morse's Japan Day By Day is his daily journal and account ofhis stay in Japan from 1877 to 1883. As a western zoological scholar who was not familiar with Japanese culture and society, Morse records and illustrates what he encountered, as weIl as aIl of the details that were ofinterest to him. Japan Day By Day presents a vivid image of Japan during the Meiji era; furthermore, Morse' s description and comments on what he has seen present how a westerner looks at Japan and responds to culture shock. This thesis aims to discuss why certain factors of Japanese culture and society interested Edward S. Morse, and how Edward S. Morse formed his perspective and his judgment In addition to reviewing Japan Day By Day as weIl as Edward S. Morse's visiting in Japan, this thesis first of aIl goes through Japanese history during the Meiji period, and highlights the coming ofwestem scholars for the purpose of improving the scientific development of Japan. The dialogue between traditional/modern Japanese society and western scientific scholars results in a contradictory relationship: corporative and competitive. Within such a dialogue 7 Edward S. Morse's interpretation is significant for both Japan and the western society simultaneously. In addition, this thesis involves Isabella L. Bird's Unbeaten Tracks in Japan (1881) and Erwin Baelz's Awakening Japan: the Diary ofa German Doctor (1932) in order to achieve a better understanding of the western perspective on Japan during the Meiji period. Furthermore, in order to gain a deeper theoretical understanding of the formation of western interpretation of the Orient, this thesis also analyzes Edward Said's theory on post-colonialism and Michel Foucault's theory of discourse and body experiences. At the same time, scholars' observation on how the uniqueness of Japan has been located between East and West is presented. Eventually this thesis's analysis of Japan Day By Day is based on the perspective that this book is not necessarily a passive consequence of western colonialism; instead, the cultural difference Morse encounters provides readers with an alternative way to experience Japan, and furthermore, an alternative dimension of western culture. 1.2 Edward Sylvester Morse - The Contrarian Edward Sylvester Morse is a difficult person to categorize and label. He was an accomplished scientist, editor, author and ambassador for Japanese culture.