Basil Hall Chamberlain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Basil Hall Chamberlain
|
|
|---|---|
Basil Hall Chamberlain
|
|
| Born | 18 October 1850 |
| Died | 15 February 1935 (aged 84) |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Author, Japanologist |
| Parent(s) | William Charles Chamberlain Eliza Jane Hall |
Basil Hall Chamberlain (born October 18, 1850 – died February 15, 1935) was a British expert on Japan. He taught the Japanese language at Tokyo Imperial University. He was one of the most important British experts on Japan living there in the late 1800s. He also wrote some of the first English translations of haiku poems. Many people remember him for his popular book Things Japanese. This book was like a one-volume encyclopedia about Japan. It first came out in 1890 and he updated it many times.
Early Life and Learning
Basil Hall Chamberlain was born in Southsea, a town in England. His father was an Admiral named William Charles Chamberlain. His mother, Eliza Hall, was the daughter of a famous travel writer.
- Basil grew up speaking both French and English.
- When his mother passed away in 1856, he moved to Versailles, France, to live with his grandmother.
- While in France, he also learned German. This meant he could speak three languages!
Basil hoped to go to Oxford University. But instead, he started working at a bank in London. He didn't like the work and soon felt very unwell. To help him recover, he left Britain by ship, not knowing exactly where he would go.
Life in Japan
Basil Chamberlain arrived in Japan on May 29, 1873. The Japanese government hired him as an o-yatoi gaikokujin. This means he was a foreign expert helping Japan modernize.
- From 1874 to 1882, he taught at the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in Tokyo.
- His most important job began in 1886. He became a professor of Japanese at Tokyo Imperial University.
- Here, he became known for his deep knowledge of Japanese language and literature.
- He also studied the Ainu and Ryukyuan languages, which are spoken by groups of people in Japan.
Chamberlain wrote many important books and translations:
- He made the first English translation of the Kojiki (1882). The Kojiki is a very old book about Japan's myths and history.
- He wrote A Handbook of Colloquial Japanese (1888), which helped people learn everyday Japanese.
- His famous book Things Japanese (1890) taught many people about Japanese culture.
- He also wrote A Practical Guide to the Study of Japanese Writing (1905).
Basil loved to travel, even though he often had health problems. He helped write A Handbook for Travellers in Japan (1891). This guide helped many visitors explore Japan.
Chamberlain was friends with the writer Lafcadio Hearn. They were colleagues at the university for a while. Later, they grew apart. Another writer, Percival Lowell, dedicated his travel book Noto: An Unexplored Corner of Japan (1891) to Chamberlain.
Basil Chamberlain sent many Japanese items to the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford. These items helped people in England learn about Japan.
He left Japan in 1911 and moved to Geneva, Switzerland. He lived there until he passed away in 1935.
Important Works
Basil Hall Chamberlain wrote many books and articles. Here are some of his most well-known works:
- The Classical Poetry of the Japanese, 1880
- "A Translation of the 'Ko-ji-ki', or Records of Ancient Matters", 1882
- A Handbook of Colloquial Japanese, 1887
- Things Japanese, first published in 1890. This book was updated many times.
- A Handbook for Travellers in Japan, co-written with W. B. Mason, 1891.
- Essay in Aid of a Grammar and Dictionary of the Luchuan Language, 1895. This was an early study of the Ryukyuan languages.
- Japanese Poetry, 1910
- The Invention of a New Religion, 1912. This was later added to Things Japanese.
See also
- Anglo-Japanese relations
- O-yatoi gaikokujin
