This book introduces English-speaking audiences to tsūji, who were interpreters in different contexts in Japan and then the Ryukyu Kingdom from the late 16th to the mid-19th century. It comprises seven historical case studies on tsūji in which contributors adopt a context-oriented approach. They aim to explore the function of these interpreters in communication with other cultures in different languages, including Japanese, Dutch, Chinese, Korean, Ryukyuan, English, Russian and Ainu. Each chapter elucidates the tsūji and the surrounding social,...

This book introduces English-speaking audiences to tsūji, who were interpreters in different contexts in Japan and then the Ryukyu Kingdom from the late 16th to the mid-19th century. It comprises seven historical case studies on tsūji in which contributors adopt a context-oriented approach. They aim to explore the function of these interpreters in communication with other cultures in different languages, including Japanese, Dutch, Chinese, Korean, Ryukyuan, English, Russian and Ainu. Each chapter elucidates the tsūji and the surrounding social,...