Japan as seen by Isabella Bird, a female traveller from the Meiji period

Japan, as seen by Isabella Bird, a female traveller from the Meiji period.

- She thought mixed bathing was essential for maintaining a stable and orderly life in Japan.

//Summary - Level-C2//

Isabella Bird, a British traveller in the late 19th century, explored Japan's Tohoku, Hokkaido, and Kansai regions, documenting both harsh living conditions and admirable cultural aspects. Her travels, supported by British envoy Harry Parkes and Japanese authorities, highlighted the stark poverty, resilient people, and unique societal values. Bird's observations emphasise viewing situations from multiple perspectives to appreciate their complexity.

A)
Ordinary, dull days are irreplaceable. Perhaps a traveller from another place in the past can make us realise this. The protagonist of this story is Isabella Bird, a British traveller from the early Meiji period. 1878, she travelled to Tohoku, Hokkaido, Kansai, and other areas.

Her book "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan", published in 1880, and a short book published afterwards were highly praised worldwide. She was the first woman to be elected a particular member of the Royal Geographical Society.

B)
Japan had transformed entirely from an isolationist state during this period. After the arrival of the Black Ships, led by Perry, in 1853, exchanges with other countries became more active, treaties of peace and friendship were signed with various countries, and envoys were sent to Europe.

However, the system was still underdeveloped, and people from overseas were not allowed to travel to Japan unless they had a good reason, such as research or study.

There were also strict rules about travel passes and accommodation registration. How could a British woman enter Japan alone at such a time and make such a long journey? We will also look at what kind of journey she made.

C)
Isabella Bird had two reasons for travelling to Japan: "I simply wanted to see the Japanese way of life and culture" and "to explore the possibility of spreading Christianity." The itinerary was not random, but it planned to stop at places where missionaries were present.

The trip was planned by Harry Parkes, the British envoy, and supported by the Japanese side, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hokkaido Development Agency.

D)
Length of stay
Seven months in 1878

Where to stay
One way overland from Tokyo to Hokkaido
(Tokyo → Nikko → Niigata → Yamagata → Akita → Hakodate → Biratori)
One way from Hokkaido to Yokohama
(Biratori → Yokohama)
Roundtrip by land from Kobe to Ise Shrine
(Kobe → Osaka → Kyoto → Nara → Ise Shrine → Suzuka → Kyoto → Osaka → Kobe)

Transportation
Horse, boat, rickshaw, walking, etc.

Accommodation
Various types of accommodation, from poor village inns to expensive inns where feudal lords stay.

E)
The poor people of Tohoku

Let's move on to the main topic, the perspective of Isabella Bird's travels. Isabella Bird's travelogue reveals the reality of poor life in Japan (especially in the Tohoku region).

The beds were exposed to the wind and rain and infested with fleas, and many people had pimples on their faces. Living conditions were not good, and peasant uprisings were frequent, increasing discontent.

F)
When she stayed at an inn near present-day Minamiaizu Ward, Fukushima Prefecture, medical technology was not widespread, and she met people with illnesses that the village doctor could not cure and people who were poor and lived complex lives.

Washing clothes damaged them, so she often wore the same clothes or went naked, and even when she tried to get new clothes, she sometimes could not keep up with the demand.

She also met a young woman who looked old near the inn. Japanese women today often look young, but this was never the case in the past. We can see that living conditions were harsh.

G)
The observant eye that saw the greatness of Japan

Isabella Bird saw the reality of deplorable living conditions. At the same time, however, she noticed many attractive aspects of Japan from the outside. This was mainly due to her interactions with the people of Japan.

H)
The interpreter was sincere

Isabella Bird travelled around Tohoku for several months with an 18-year-old interpreter named Ito Tsuruyoshi. Isabella Bird was 47 then, so she probably felt she was travelling with a young man.

Japanese businesspeople often took a little extra money from travellers and put it in their pockets.

At first, Isabella Bird did not trust Ito at all. However, she later wrote in her travel diary that she "doubt[ed] whether she could have engaged a more useful servant and interpreter than him".

This was probably because she noticed his qualities as an interpreter and his way of thinking about Japanese values, as the following description shows.

I)
Values without privacy maintain order

As shown in the following scene, she began to trust the Japanese because her luggage was never stolen during the trip.

"I closed the translucent paper window, called a shoji, and went to bed. But the lack of privacy was so terrible that I could not trust others enough to rest comfortably without locks, walls, or doors."

"My worries were natural for a woman travelling alone, but they were unjustified. I then travelled 1,200 miles through the outback and Hokkaido, completely safe and without fear. I believe there is no other country in the world where a woman can travel so safely without encountering any danger or impropriety as Japan."

J)
Because of how Japanese houses are built, he was initially concerned about the lack of privacy compared to his home in England.

He later wrote, "A blind man and a young girl opened the shoji and entered the room". However, he was not attacked or anything stolen, and in the end, he could travel in peace.

Isabella Bird seems to have had a similar feeling, which can be seen from her expression when she entered a mixed-gender bath.

Like other places, I noticed the bathhouse had the same strict etiquette. People bowed deeply when passing each other a bucket or a towel.

In Japan, public baths are said to be places where public opinion is formed, just like in English clubs and pubs. The presence of women prevents public safety risks (e.g., mixed bathing). However, the government is doing its best to stop mixed bathing.

In other words, Isabella Bird thought that mixed bathing was essential for maintaining a stable and orderly life in Japan. This is a very novel and exciting perspective.

K)
The folklorist Tsuneichi Miyamoto wrote something interesting about this in his book "The Travels of Isabella Bird: Reading 'Japan's Interior." The following passage explains it: "If we have to separate our lives from the rest of the world, I think it means that our own lives are already unstable."

L)
Police officers shape Japanese lifestyle and culture. If the government makes the rules, then the police are the ones who make sure that people follow them faithfully and enforce them in their lives.

In other words, the direction of Japanese life and culture can be seen in the behaviour of the police officers in the field. Thinking in this way can be an essential perspective. Isabella Bird accurately recorded the number of police officers at a festival she attended in Akita.

In this way, Isabella Bird could see the 'happiness in life' that would go unnoticed if one focused only on superficial poverty or events such as peasant uprisings.

I am amazed at the powers of observation she acquired during her travels in Japan and other countries.

M)
Change your perspective and see things differently

We usually judge things based on our biased views, the views of small communities, and limited information.

This can be said of everything from living conditions to relationships, but sometimes, when you are unhappy, you must stop and look at things from different angles before seeing them.

You do not want to find that you have been surprisingly blessed after you have cut things off.

Not making hasty judgments about things can be a shortcut to happiness. In any case, I know surprisingly little. With this in mind, I want to continue to be exposed to new impressions and surprises.

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Add info No1)

History that is not taught in schools: The Meiji Era that Shocked an English Woman: Japanese National Character and Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD3AdQPCTlQ

It was during the Meiji era that British traveller Isabella Lucy Bird visited Japan. She landed in Yokohama and travelled from Tokyo to Tohoku and Hokkaido for three months. The record of her experiences was published in 1880 as "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan," and many translations have been published. We will introduce the state of Japan at that time from her perspective, as well as the world situation and history at that time.

Add info No2)

History that is not taught in schools: Japan 170 years ago. Life in the Edo period, as seen by Perry and foreigners

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC22Uo_v3R0

History that is not taught in schools: Japan 170 years ago. Life in the Edo period, as seen by Perry and foreigners.