Frog in the Well: Portraits of Japan by Watanabe Kazan, 1793–1841

Donald Keene

Published by Columbia University Press 2006

Frog in the Well

Portraits of Japan by Watanabe Kazan, 1793–1841

Donald Keene

In the series Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture

https://doi.org/10.7312/keen13826

Overview
Contents

About this book

Frog in the Well is a vivid and revealing account of Watanabe Kazan, one of the most important intellectuals of the late Tokugawa period. From his impoverished upbringing to his tragic suicide in exile, Kazan's life and work reflected a turbulent period in Japan's history. He was a famous artist, a Confucian scholar, a student of Western culture, a samurai, and a critic of the shogunate who, nevertheless, felt compelled to kill himself for fear that he had caused his lord anxiety.

During this period, a typical Japanese scholar or artist refused to acknowledge the outside world, much like a "frog in the well that knows nothing of the ocean," but Kazan actively sought out Western learning. He appreciated European civilization and bought every scrap of European art that was available in Japan. He became a painter to help his family out of poverty and, by employing the artistic techniques of the West, achieved great success with his realistic and stylistically advanced portraits.

Although he remained a nationalist committed to the old ways, Kazan called on the shogunate to learn from the West or risk disaster. He strove to improve the agricultural and economic conditions of his province and reinforce its defenses, but his criticisms and warnings about possible coastal invasions ultimately led to his arrest and exile.

Frog in the Well is the first full-length biography of Kazan in English, and, in telling his life's story, renowned scholar Donald Keene paints a fascinating portrait of the social and intellectual milieus of the late Tokugawa period. Richly illustrated with Kazan's paintings, Frog in the Well illuminates a life that is emblematic of the cultural crises affecting Japan in the years before revolution.

Author / Editor information

Donald Keene is Shincho Professor of Japanese Literature and University Professor Emeritus at Columbia University. He is the author of more than thirty books, including Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World and the definitive multivolume history of Japanese literature.

Reviews

Tom Havens:
Lively and enjoyable... None who take up this smoothly written, instructive volume will fail to be edified by its portraits.

[An] elegant, detailed, and unprecedented account of an important intellectual... Highly recommended.

Hugh Cortazzi:
Keene has produced a fascinating and readable study of a remarkable figure.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Illustrations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xi
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1. Dutch Studies in Japan Before 1793 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	17
2. Japan in 1793. Kazan’s Early Years Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	33
3. Genre Paintings and Early Portraits Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	50
4. Travels and Career Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	72
5. The Early 1830s Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	90
6. Foreign Influence and Major Portraits Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	106
7. The Meeting of East and West Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	127
8. Danger from Overseas Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	145
9. The Road to Prison Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	161
10. The Trial Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179
11. Kazan the Painter Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	198
12. The Last Year Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	218
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	235
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	269
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	277

Language: English
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 304

eBook

Published: June 27, 2006
ISBN: 9780231511032