A Victorian Lady in the Land of the Rising Sun:
 the Image of Japan in Isabella Bird’s «Unbeaten Tracks in Japan»

Abstract

The article is devoted to the image of Japan and the Japanese in the book «Unbeaten Tracks in Japan» by Isabella Bird, a famous British traveler, a member of the Royal Geographical Society, an author of a number of works written during her many travels. In April, 1878 the Victorian woman arrived in
 the Land of the Rising Sun. In the search for the «real» Japan, she made her way through the countryside, in places where no European had ever set foot. The traveler, accompanied by a guide, visited many places untouched by foreigners, including Yozo (Hokkaido). The writer reflected the results of her impressions,
 observations and research in letters to her sister. They became the basis of her work «Unbeaten Tracks in Japan», which was created later. Throughout the XIX century, the British Empire expanded its borders,
 seized new territories and sought to strengthen its influence in other countries. For Japan, it was a period of political, economic and cultural upheavals. It was the time of an active clash with a foreign culture and rapid development. The
 Land of the Rising Sun entered the arena of international relations that, of
 course, attracted the Europeans’ attention.
 This article primarily examines Miss Bird’s perception of Japan, her assessment of culture, politics, art, the Japanese’s life, their characters. An important factor is the comparison of the image of «fabulous» Japan, which was created outside Japan, and the real Japan, where the writer traveled.