Hildreth's "Japan as It Was and Is": A Handbook of Old Japan, Volume 1 (of 2)

The volume compiles European eyewitness and historical accounts of Japan from earliest contacts through periods of missionary activity and feudal consolidation. It interleaves travel narratives, mission reports, and official documents to describe political structures, religious beliefs, social customs, arts, and material culture, and traces the arrival and influence of European visitors, the establishment and spread of Christian missions, growth of ports such as Nagasaki, and subsequent restrictions. Chapters provide detailed observations of daily life, architecture, ceremonies, legal practices, and maritime commerce, supplemented by illustrations, maps, and documentary excerpts that chart evolving foreign relations and internal power shifts.