The First European Description of Japan, 1585 by Richard Danford Luis Frois SJ Daniel T. Reff Page B

than four centuries; and Reff, who supplies the scholarship on the Jesuits of “early modern Europe”.
    Daniel Reff has also written a very helpful introduction to the “tratado” or main body of the text, which assesses the aim of Frois’s writing, probably meant to help newly-arrived Jesuit missionaries to settle in. His superior, Valignano, was determined to convince Europeans that Japanese were “civilized” enoughto become clergy themselves, and thus take over judicial control of the Church in Japan. He realised that neither Spain nor Portugal would ever be in a position to successfully invade Japan (and China) and overpower the indigenous elite, so learning the language and local customs was essential. He also took four Japanese teenagers to Rome, partly to convince them that Europeans were not barbarians either, but still he asked his missionaries to live like Japanese in Japan.
    In his introduction to the text, Frois wrote:
    Many of their customs are so distant, foreign, and far removed from our own that it is difficult to believe that one can find such stark contrasts in customs among people who are so civilized, have such lively genius, and are as naturally intelligent as these [Japanese].
    This book demonstrates that some of these stark contrasts have been amazingly persistent on both sides of the world despite a growing knowledge about each other’s ways. Would that a few more of the Europeans who set out to study around the world could be as accepting of such continuing difference as a couple of priests committed to conversion in the sixteenth century!

Acknowledgments
    Over the years, a number of people read drafts, fielded questions, or otherwise helped with the realization of this book. We especially want to thank Nina Berman, Serena Connolly, Liza Dalby, Frank Dutra, Nancy Ettlinger, Prudence Gill, Hanna Gotz, Joy Hendry, Natsumi Hirota, Suzanne Inamura, Eric Johnson, Karen Kupperman, Sarah Kernan, Donald Larsen, Mary McCarthy, Sabine McCormack, Catarina Marot Mendez, Wamae Muriuki, Hirochika Nakamaki, Shelley Fenno Quinn, Kristina Troost, Tenki-san, and Julia Watson.
    We also appreciate the support of the College of Arts and Humanities at The Ohio State University and the National Endowment for the Humanities (Daniel Reff), Marietta College (Richard Danford), and the Grapetree Productions Fellowship (Robin D. Gill).
    Thanks also to Jeff La Frenierre for compiling our maps.

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