Japan's Real Attitude Toward America (1916)

Nice looking cover.

Table of Contents.

I'll only point out specific highlights. The first section, and part of the second, goes back to examine Japan's opening to the outside and the role the U.S. played. The second article notes things the U.S. has done for Japan, including the education of many of its young people.

The book blames Germany for much of the 'yellow peril' thought that was adopted by some Americans.

There was a thing called the Gentlemen's Agreement, which was to limit Japanese immigration into the U.S. What they did object to was the alien land laws that were being passed since they basically discriminated against the Japanese.

The book then goes on to talk about how messed up China is, and how Japan was willing to work with China so China could get its act together, so to speak. Japan wanted to appoint 'political, financial, and military advisers' for China. Their idea is that China and Japan have a shared destiny in the Far East.

Then it jumps to say 'The Japanese-California question is no cause for war' before going right back to the interests of Japan and the U.S. in China.

A prophetic statement about war with the U.S. being suicidal for Japan.

In relation to the author the book is criticizing, one chapter takes direct quotes from the other man's book where he supposedly quoted Japanese sources, then puts up the original quote, noting rather significant differences between the two. Not quoting things properly is still a major problem in today's mass media.

A good part of the book is, as expected, direct answers to the other man's book, attacking his statements, his quotations and his conclusions. At least two of the people quoted in the refutations are Americans, not Japanese.



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Japanese-American Internment Camps index page
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