Bartholomew, James R.

Winner of a 1990 Association of American University Presses (AAUP) Hiromi Arisawa Award 

Selected as an outstanding book by Choice

Winner of the History of Science Society’s 1992 Pfizer Award given for a distinguished book in the history of science

In this pioneering study, James R. Bartholomew argues that Japan has built a tradition of scientific research that is one of the most important in the contemporary world. Focusing on the years 1868 to 1921, he shows how Japan developed this tradition by drawing both on the resources and policies of its own late feudal Tokugawa period and on what it regarded as essential elements of American and European science.  "[Bartholomew’s] is a crisp, readable account, based on numerous government documents and other sources written in Japanese. No study as thorough as this one exists, even in Japanese."—Koscak Maruyama, Nature

"The most important single contribution to date to the history of scientific research in modern Japan, and will remain required reading for those with interest in the field."—William Johnston, Journal of Asian Studies "Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand how Japanese science itself emerged from its insularity in just half a century."—Daniel Kevles, Times Literary Supplement

 "A rich, scholarly, and often contentious portrayal of the early years of Japan’s scientific research institutions. Deeply grounded in Japanese sources, it is the first comprehensive treatment in English of this critically important period, and it is likely to be the standard work for many years to come."—D. Eleanor Westney, Science  "Bartholomew's important book rescues Japanese science from obscurity among English-speaking scholars. . . . He brings to light individuals and institutions unknown to most in the West and unappreciated by many, including scientists in Japan."—Barbara Molony, American Historical Review