"In conveying the ‘state of play’ of Johnson’s reputation in a world that might not previously have been thought receptive, Johnson in Japan makes a significant mark . . . successful in offering new critical insights, its presence means that there are important implications for Johnson’s cultural penetration (and therefore the kind of writer he is)."

Philip Smallwood, author of Johnson’s Critical Presence: Image, History, Judgment

"Samuel Johnson was fascinated by travel, and the Orient particularly took his fancy. He once seriously recommended that Boswell undertake a trip to see the Great Wall of China, because it would distinguish him in the eyes of other Britons. More recently, the East has reciprocated this interest, as scholars in Japan and China formed Johnsonian societies and published important books and articles on the Great Cham. Johnson in Japan draws together a number of intriguing and valuable essays under a rubric that is original and persuasive. It at once advances our knowledge of the intersection between Johnson and the East forward considerably, yet it perhaps more urgently encourages that Western scholars explore this richly fertile yet largely untapped field with greater assiduity."

Anthony Lee, author of Community and Solitude: New Essays on Johnson's Circle

"It is a pleasure to read these essays, eloquently written, informative and free of jargon."

The New Rambler

«“To publish contemporary critical essays together with the historical review of Johnson studies makes an important statement about the vibrancy of Johnson scholarship, past and present, in Japan.”»

Lisa Berglund, Eighteenth Century Fiction