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This volume is concerned with the development of business and economic relations between Britain and Japan from the early seventeenth century up to the year 2000. Following a comprehensive introduction, the volume contains eight more detailed chapters, written by British and Japanese scholars, each of which focus on a particular aspect of economic interaction. Particular emphasis is placed on commodity trade, capital flows, and the transfer of knowledge and the overall balance of economic power between the two nations.

Sir Hugh Cortazzi, former Ambassador to Japan, explores two fascinating episodes in Anglo-Japanese cultural relations in late Victorian London. The Japanese Native Village in 1885 was a commercial venture that demonstrated Japanese life and crafts to Londoners through the creation of a ‘make believe’ village in Knightsbridge. In the same year, Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta The Mikado was the first attempt to use Japan as a theme for a British theatrical production.

Sir Hugh Cortazzi, former Ambassador to Japan, introduces fifteen books illustrated by Japanese artists over nearly seventy years. These sketchbooks and albums show the way in which Japanese artists maintained their traditional skills in drawing and colouring during an era in which Japanese society underwent revolutionary changes. They cover a wide range from the depiction of birds and flowers to Japanese customs. The images presented provide an unusual picture of Japanese life and art of the time.

In this volume, Sir Hugh Cortazzi provides a compelling introduction to the multiple forms of visual material published in Japan for mostly European and American consumption. His carefully researched books is a much-needed addition to this rich and yet surprisingly under explored field. This book is the fruit of many years of researching, collecting and analysing material published in Western languages on Meiji Japan. He set himself an arduous task as the material covers a range of genres from fairy tales to botanical prints.