Translating the West

• 1720s: shogunate orders translations of European medical journals

• 1780s: trade with Europe increases → increase in translations

• 1830s: drastic reduction in translations due to the 1st opium war

• 1858: Matthew Perry arrives → massive increase in translations

Japanese Literal meaning Back translation?
鉄道 Iron/steel, road/way railway
電話 Electricity, speech telephone
国権 Country, right/power sovereignty
写真 Copy, truth/reality photograph
小説 Small, report novel