Qingmo dushi de zhengzhi wenhua yu shehui tonghe: Tianjin de jindai 清末都市的政治文化与社会統合: 天津的近代 (In Search of Modernity in Tianjin History: Political Culture and Social Integration in a City during the late Qing Period)

I must admit I am slightly reluctant to discuss my own book, which was published years ago. Nevertheless, it may be worthwhile to consider the release of the Chinese version twenty years after its original publication.
 
This book is based on my doctoral dissertation. It evokes numerous memories: reading century-old newspapers in a cold, unheated room in Tianjin during the depths of winter, transcribing them by hand; reading Chinese historical documents attached to 19th-century diplomatic reports in the British National Archives, only to be asked by an elderly woman seated next to me, “Why can you read Chinese characters?” and finding myself at a loss for words.
 
One objective of this book is to reconsider modern Chinese history from the perspective of a single city, Tianjin. For instance, it is well known that during the Second Opium War (the Arrow War), British and French fleets sailed up the river to Tianjin and concluded the Treaty of Tianjin with the Qing Dynasty in 1858. What kind of experience was this incident for the people of Tianjin?
 
At the time, the local leaders of Tianjin organized a self-defense militias to strengthen defenses, following official orders. However, when foreign troops landed and tensions rose between them and the Chinese inhabitants, the militias worked to prevent conflict. Interestingly, this memory was passed down within the community and resurfaced during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.
 
In 2022, the Social Sciences Academic Press, a prominent Beijing publisher, published the Chinese edition of this book, which was translated by Professor Wan Lujian. I am grateful that many people in China now have easy access to it.
 
I will briefly explain the importance of publishing a Chinese edition. First, the market for Chinese-language books is much larger than that for Japanese-language books. Furthermore, given the high level of interest in Chinese history in China, it is reasonable to assume that there is greater demand for my book in the Chinese-speaking world. While I do not know the exact figures, I suspect that the print run of the Chinese edition exceeds that of the original Japanese edition. Generally speaking, of course, English books probably have broader distribution channels. However, it is unlikely that many Westerners are interested in academic books on Chinese history. In addition, Western experts on China can read Chinese-language books.
 
Publishing in Chinese is therefore highly meaningful in the field of Chinese studies. Most importantly, my research is motivated by Chinese readers’ desire to experience a book written by a Japanese author that may offer a unique perspective.
 
This may be analogous to how an American scholar feels about wanting to write an excellent book on European history. If an English-language book by an American scholar on, for example, French history were also published in French, it would undoubtedly be a source of pride.
 
While this attitude and desire may be indicative of a very small academic world, I believe it will likely continue in the future.
 

(Written by YOSHIZAWA Seiichiro, Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology / 2025)