Chapter 1: Literature
French and Japanese cultural exchanges from the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate to the early Meiji Era began in the practical sciences fields. However, with France’s defeat in Franco-Prussian War, the influence of France began to decline compared to those of Britain, the United States, Germany and other countries. On the other hand, in the literature and arts fields, a large number of artists and works were introduced in Japan, exciting the people's fascination with France. This Chapter will trace the admiration of Japanese people for France through records of the experiences of writers who visited France, and French literature works which were translated into Japanese.
