The author bases his observations of Japanese social, political and economic life on his first-hand experience of living and working in the country. He argues that the economic expansion of Japan was regarded as a greater threat to Britain because of Japan's political aims and aggressive territorial expansion.

The author provides his interpretation of the civilization and national character of Japan. He describes the novel problems and phenomena which have been created by the attempt of the Japanese to graft the political, economic and educational institutions of the West on to their Oriental social organization.