Historical Dictionary of Japan to 1945
Hamilton, Val
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ABSTRACT
Hamilton reviews Historical Dictionary of Japan to 1945 by Kenneth Henshall.
FULL TEXT
RR 2015/038 Historical Dictionary of Japan to 1945 Kenneth Henshall Scarecrow Press Lanham, MA and Plymouth
2014 xxxi + 596 pp. ISBN 978 0 8108 7871 6 (print); ISBN 978 0 8108 7872 3 (e-book) £80 $125 (print); $119.99 (e-
book) Historical Dictionaries of Ancient Civilizations and Historical Eras
Keywords Dictionaries, History, Japan
Review DOI 10.1108/RR-09-2014-0281
This reference book on pre-war Japan is a fine addition to the Scarecrow Historical Dictionary collection. It fits well
the stated aim of the series to provide "the perfect starting point for anyone looking to research" in a given field. The
author is a New Zealand-based academic who has previously published an introductory-level history book as well as
several publications on Japanese language and literature.
This volume begins with a 17-page chronology in quite chatty style covering literary and artistic developments as
well as political events. This is complemented by appendices listing emperors and era names, prime ministers and
shoguns, which are more useful for quick reference. There is an 18-page narrative introduction divided into major
historical periods. This is of course brief and very selective but does provide an easy way into Japanese history for
the complete beginner.
The main dictionary is in the standard Scarecrow format. Entries cover individuals, organizations, concepts such as
aesthetics and immigration and events. Entries can be under either the Japanese or English form with no obvious
logic for the choice but always with a cross-reference, so this is not problematic. Characters are always given for
Japanese terms. Cross-referencing generally seems better than in other Scarecrow historical dictionaries, but there
are still problems. For individuals, the emphasis is on Japanese natives, reasonably so, but there does not seem to
be much information, for example, on individual Westerners involved in the development of Japan after its reopening
in the 1860s. There are no references to individuals in the section on Foreign Employees of the Meiji Period,
although I spotted an entry for David Murray, a nineteenth-century American educator, and Basil Hall Chamberlain is
also featured, but it is hard to tell how many more are included.
The range of entries means that this is more than simply a historical dictionary and could be seen as a basic
encyclopedia of Japan. Under L for example, there are entries for Language, Law/Legislation, Legitimization and
Literature (covering seven pages). There are some oddities, such as Incorporation of Powerful Threat, which is a
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phrase few would take as a starting point in a dictionary and inevitably any specialist will notice omissions of items
that could have been included. Although the main focus is the period up to 1945, in some entries, such as those for
the Ainu and Burakumin minorities, there is information covering developments beyond this period. The style
throughout is readable and at times quite informal with hints of opinions, but little to which a reader could take
exception.
There are 13 appendices in total, including the text of various documents. Apart from the 604 Constitution, all date
from after 1868 and five relate to the Pacific War and its end. The volume concludes with an extensive bibliography
of 64 pages, arranged according to broad topics. Fourteen pages are devoted to works about the Pacific War, but
inevitably, other topics have less in-depth coverage. However, the range of titles referenced is broad, with
publication dates spanning the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
This book is useful as a dictionary for those with an interest in Japanese history but could also have a place in a
library as a basic introductory reference work covering Japanese history and culture up to 1945.
AuthorAffiliation
Val Hamilton
Freelance Reviewer, Nethy Bridge, UK
DETAILS
Subject: Book reviews; Nonfiction; Japanese history; World War II; Dictionaries
People: Henshall, Kenneth
Identifier / keyword: Korea; History
Publication title: Reference Reviews; Harlow
Volume: 29
Issue: 1
Pages: 55
Number of pages: 1
Publication year: 2015
Publication date: 2015
Section: Area studies
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Place of publication: Harlow
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Country of publication: Uni ted Kingdom, Harlow
Publication subject: Library And Information Sciences
ISSN: 09504125
e-ISSN: 17587697
Source type: Scholarly Journal
Language of publication: English
Document type: Book Review-Favorable
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/RR-09-2014-0281
ProQuest document ID: 1661106935
Document URL: https://proxy.library.mcgill.ca/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/historical-dictionary-japan-1945/docview/1661106935/se-2?accountid=12339
Copyright: Copyright Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2015
Last updated: 2023-12-04
Database: Library &Information Science Abstracts (LISA),ProQuest One Academic,Social
Science Premium Collection,ProQuest Central
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