Kaempfer’s Japan: Tokugawa Culture Observed

560 Pages·1999·6.031 MB·English

by  Engelbert Kaempfer, Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey

Kaempfer’s Japan
Kaempfer’s routes in Japan
Kaempfer’s Japan
Tokugawa Culture Observed
by Engelbert Kaempfer
Edited, Translated, and Annotated by
Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey
University of Hawai‘i Press
Honolulu
Publication of this book has been assisted by a grant from the
Kajiyama Publication Fund for Japanese History, Culture and
Literature at the University of Hawai‘i at Ma¯noa.
© 1999 University of Hawai‘i Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
03 02 01 00 99 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kaempfer, Engelbert, 1651–1716.
[Heutiges Japan. English]
Kaempfer’s Japan : Tokugawa culture observed / Engelbert Kaempfer;
edited, translated, and annotated by Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0–8248–1964–0 (cloth : alk. paper).—ISBN 0–8248–2066–5
(pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Japan—Civilization—1600–1868. I. Title.
DS822.2.K313 1999 98–41190
952'.025—dc21 CIP
University of Hawai‘i Press books are printed on acid-free paper
and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the
Council on Library Resources.
Designed by Jennifer Lum
Printed by The Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group
To my parents, Erich and Liselotte Bodart

Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
Translator’s Introduction 1
Notes on the Translation 22
Prologue 27
Book 1
Chapter 1 Journey from Siam to Japan and the Present State of 33
the Siamese Court, Including a Description of the
Royal Residence or Capital of Ayutthaya
Chapter 2 Departure from the Siamese Capital Ayutthaya Down 35
the River Meinam to the Harbor, and from There
across the Sea to Japan
Chapter 3 The Size and Situation of the Islands and Provinces of 40
Japan
Chapter 4 The Division of the Japanese Empire into Large and 48
Small Domains, and Especially General Information
about Their Revenue and Government
Chapter 5 The Origin of the Inhabitants 50
Chapter 6 The Origin of the Japanese according to Their Own 51
Fanciful Opinion
Chapter 7 The Climate of Japan and Its Mineral Resources 55
Chapter 8 The Fertility of Plants in This Country 64
Chapter 9 The Country’s Abundance of Quadrupeds, Birds, 70
Crawling and Flying Insects
Chapter 10 Fish and Shellfish 77
vii
Contents
Book 2
Chapter 1 Names of the Gods, Divine Humans, and Emperors 87
Who Are Named in the Japanese Chronicles as the
First Rulers of This Empire
Chapter 2 General Information about the Spiritual and True 88
Hereditary Emperors of This Empire and the
Periodization of Their Succession
Chapter 3 The Spiritual Hereditary Emperors, and Especially 97
and First of All Those Who Have Ruled the Japanese
Empire from the Beginning of the Monarchy until the
Birth of Christ
Chapter 4 The Spiritual Hereditary Emperors Who Lived 98
between the Birth of Christ and the Birth of
Yoritomo, the First Secular Ruler, and Ruled with
Unlimited Authority
Chapter 5 The Spiritual Hereditary Emperors Who Lived after 99
the Birth of Yoritomo to the Present Day
Chapter 6 The Military Commanders and Secular Rulers from 100
Yoritomo to the Present Ruler Tsunayoshi
Book 3
Chapter 1 Concerning the Religions of This Empire and 103
Especially That of Shinto
Chapter 2 The Temples, Beliefs, and Worship of the Shinto Sect 106
Chapter 3 Shinto Reibi, That Is to Say, Lucky and Sacred Days 111
and Their Celebration
Chapter 4 The Sangu¯, or Pilgrimage to Ise 117
Chapter 5 Yamabushi, or Mountain Priests, and Other Religions 122
viii
Contents
Chapter 6 Butsu do¯, or Foreign Paganism, and in General about 127
Its Founder
Chapter 7 Judo¯, the Teaching or the Ways of the Moralists or 132
Philosophers
Book 4
Chapter 1 The Situation of the City of Nagasaki 137
Chapter 2 The Government of Nagasaki 148
Chapter 3 The Government of Individual Streets and Their 158
Inhabitants, as well as the Administration of the
Surrounding Districts and Farmers by a Shogunal
Official
Chapter 4 The Temples of the City and the Activities and the 168
Administration of the Clergy
Chapter 5 The Arrival, Reception, and Extermination of the 179
Portuguese and Spaniards
Chapter 6 The Situation of the Dutch 187
Chapter 7 The Dutch Trade in This Country: Firstly, the Guilds 201
Employed for This Purpose
Chapter 8 The Dutch Trade: Details of the Procedure 207
Chapter 9 The Treatment and Trade of the Chinese 224
Chapter 10 Some Posters, Passes, and Letters That Have Been 229
Mentioned Above
Book 5
Chapter 1 Preparations for Our Journey to Court and a 239
Description of the Local Way of Traveling
Chapter 2 A General Description of the Condition and Location 247
of the Route by Water and on Land from Nagasaki to
the Residence at Edo
ix
Contents
Chapter 3 A General Description of Civil and Religious 253
Buildings and Also of Other Structures That We Saw
along Public Routes
Chapter 4 A Description of Post Stations, Inns, Roadside Food 262
and Tea Stalls
Chapter 5 The Crowds of People Traveling This Highway Daily 271
and Gaining Their Livelihood Therefrom
Chapter 6 Our Journey, That Is to Say, the Journey of the Dutch, 280
to the Shogunal Court and the Treatment We Receive
Chapter 7 Overland Journey from Nagasaki to Kokura, Begun on 288
February 13, 1691, Consisting of 51–1 Japanese Miles
2
Chapter 8 Voyage from Kokura to Osaka, Begun on February 17,
1691, Amounting to 140 or 150 Miles 300
Chapter 9 Journey of Thirteen Miles from Osaka to Miyako,
Begun on February 28th and Completed on the 29th, 311
as well as a Description of Both Cities
Chapter 10 The Journey from Miyako to Hamamatsu of Sixty-
three Japanese Miles, Being Half the Journey to Edo, 325
Begun on March 2nd
Chapter 11 Continuation of Our Journey from Hamamatsu Sixty
Japanese Miles and Thirty-eight Streets to the 336
Shogunal Capital of Edo
Chapter 12 Description of the City and the Castle of Edo, Some
Events That Took Place There, Our Audience and 351
Departure
Chapter 13 Return from Edo
369
Chapter 14 The Second Journey to the Shogun’s Court
398
Chapter 15 Second Return Journey from Edo to Nagasaki
417
x