This first full length critical biography of one of the most significant figures in Japanese Studies in the last hundred years is based on an earlier work published in Japanese (Iwanami Shoten, 1990). Ota sees Chamberlain as a giant of his period, both academically and intellectually. His achievements include the first publication of a translation of the Kojiki, his pioneering work as the 'father' of Japanese linguistics, and the acclaimed Things Japanese which served generations as an everyman encyclopaedia. However, Ota also acknowledges Chamberlain's vision in recognising the distinctive...