Download or read book The First European Description of Japan, 1585 written by Luís Fróis and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1585, at the height of Jesuit missionary activity in Japan, long-time missionary Luis Frois drafted the earliest systematic comparison of Western and Japanese cultures. This book constitutes the first critical English-language edition of the work. The book provides a translation of the text, which covers subjects as diverse as gender, religion, medicine, music, drama and seafaring. In addition, the book includes a substantive introduction, background information and comparisons with present-day Japanese life. Overall, the book is an important primary source for understanding a particularly challenging period of history and its connection to contemporary Europe and Japan.