The mighty kingdom of Japan (1636).
Chandeigne| N° d'inventaire | 25704 |
| Format | 12 x 17.5 |
| Détails | 300 p., some illustrations, paperback. |
| Publication | Paris, 2018 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782367321646 |
"Magellane" collection.
Introduction, translation and notes by Jacques and Marianne Proust.
François Caron (1600-1672), son of French Huguenot refugees in the Netherlands, joined the Dutch East India Company at a very young age. He lived in Japan for over twenty years, married, raised six children, and was so successful that he rose within the Company to the position of Director General before retiring from business in 1651. Caron did not write for a living, but his duties required him to report. He did so mainly on two occasions: in 1636 to answer questions posed by a Director General, and then in 1639-1641, in the daily register he kept as head of the Company in Japan. These two texts shed light on each other. The first could be titled "Japan, Instructions for Use": it is a veritable guide to navigating modern Japanese society, unified under the rule of the Tokugawa. The second is like the daily application of this instruction manual by a man well-versed in the way Japanese society functions, and capable of navigating it with as much finesse as prudence, thanks to a network of friendships extending to the closest circles of power. The third text was written much later, Caron having agreed at the age of sixty-four to leave his Dutch retirement to serve Colbert, who then wanted to launch the brand new French East India Company to conquer the Far Eastern markets. It could be titled "Nostalgia for Japan." Jacques & Marianne Proust, in the introduction to their translations of these three texts, have written a fascinating biography of François Caron.
"Magellane" collection.
Introduction, translation and notes by Jacques and Marianne Proust.
François Caron (1600-1672), son of French Huguenot refugees in the Netherlands, joined the Dutch East India Company at a very young age. He lived in Japan for over twenty years, married, raised six children, and was so successful that he rose within the Company to the position of Director General before retiring from business in 1651. Caron did not write for a living, but his duties required him to report. He did so mainly on two occasions: in 1636 to answer questions posed by a Director General, and then in 1639-1641, in the daily register he kept as head of the Company in Japan. These two texts shed light on each other. The first could be titled "Japan, Instructions for Use": it is a veritable guide to navigating modern Japanese society, unified under the rule of the Tokugawa. The second is like the daily application of this instruction manual by a man well-versed in the way Japanese society functions, and capable of navigating it with as much finesse as prudence, thanks to a network of friendships extending to the closest circles of power. The third text was written much later, Caron having agreed at the age of sixty-four to leave his Dutch retirement to serve Colbert, who then wanted to launch the brand new French East India Company to conquer the Far Eastern markets. It could be titled "Nostalgia for Japan." Jacques & Marianne Proust, in the introduction to their translations of these three texts, have written a fascinating biography of François Caron.