A review by beththebookdragon
The Great Wave: Gilded Age Misfits, Japanese Eccentrics, and the Opening of Old Japan by Christopher E.G. Benfey

2.0

Sometimes interesting, occasionally tedious stories of US citizens fascinated with and visiting Meiji-era Japan, and some Japanese citizens who visited or lived long-term in the US. A lot about how Americans idealized traditional Japanese culture, what they admired about it, and what did and didn't change in Japan culturally after it was forcibly opened to the West.

Notable for mentioning some women as well as men.

For people interested in this time period in Japan willing to slog through some good but not brilliant writing. If anyone has found a more interesting book on this topic or one that goes into depth in a captivating way on one or more characters mentioned, please let me know!