ASIAN JOURNALS

The Anglo-Japanese Gazette, 1902-1909

Founded as a monthly review devoted to the commercial and social interests of the British Empire and Japan, this contains excellent material on trade with Japan and the Far East.

Major subjects featured include the Hong Kong, Shanghai and Mitsui Banking Corporations, the National Industrial Exhibition of Japan, Shipbuilding in Japan, Railways in the Far East, Commercial Education in Japan, Iron and Steel Manufacturing, the New Steamship Service between Japan and Australia, Japanese Economic Penetration of Asia, Textiles, Coal and New Industrial Power Plants.

Volume 1 No 1 asserts: "The radical revolutions in habits and government, the change in manners, the advancement in ideas, which have taken place in Japan during the short space of time which has lapsed since 1855 - the year of Commodore Perry’s visit - are too well known to be dealt with here on the present occasion, except it be in the briefest possible way".

Prior to 1855, Japan, like many of her neighbours, had since the age of mythology, religiously kept her ports closed to the entire world. From that year, however, as a result of the treaty entered into with the United States, she has not only willingly and gladly thrown her gate open to all without prejudice as to nationality, but has always welcomed the stranger from every land for the knowledge he has brought. The result of this interchange of ideas is on every hand apparent. Taking statistics issued by the Financial Department it will be seen the foreign trade of Japan, between the years 1869 and 1900, shows an increase of no less than 200 per cent. Again, in our Universities, in large commercial homes, or wherever one turns, one finds her best blood studying Western ideas".

This tremendous interchange of ideas in the first decade of the twentieth century is well documented in the issues of The Anglo-Japanese Gazette, which will be of value to scholars of Asian Studies, Economic History and World history.