The Image of Japan in England at the End of 16th – the First Quarter of 17th Centuries

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, after the Tokugawa dynasty seized the power and established a new form of government, foreign merchants, including British, started to arrive in Japan. This paper discusses the British perception of Japan and the creation of its image at the end of 16th – first quarter of the 17th centuries. Recent studies consider mainly the classical relationship between England and Japan in the framework of trade relations. Using written narrative sources such as Richard Cocks' diary, John Saris’ journal, and English merchants’ letters, including William Adams’ ones, it will be made an attempt to reveal all the features of the perception of Japan by Europeans and how the image of the Other was formed before and during their stay in Japan. This study is intended to complement the block of studies in the investigation of the image of the Other and to better understand the dialogue between the West and the East.