Japan Studies Collection: BLOG/News

A letter of Sir Ernest Satow is a new addition to the Asia Collection's treasure

Mark Levin, CJS Director, Tokiko Bazzell, Japan Studies Librarian, Clem Guthro, University Librarian, Masato Ishida, COS Director, Yuma Totani, History Professor

Another treasure has been added to the Asia Collection. Ms. Deborah Rudolph, John Hawley’s widow, gifted a rare letter to the Sakamaki/Hawley Collection. The letter was written by Sir Ernest Satow (1843-1929) to Tadatsugu Hanawa 塙忠韶 (1832-1918). Satow was a British scholar, diplomat, and Asianist. He stayed in China, Siam, and Japan from the 1800s to the early 1900s. The addressee was the grandson of a well known blind Edo period scholar, Hanawa Hokiichi 塙保己一, who compiled a massive set of historical Japanese documents and literature called, “Gunsho Ruijū” https://uhawaii-manoa.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01UHAWAII_MANOA/11uc19p/alma991866594605682

The letter is a thank you from Satow to Tadatsugu for letting him borrow the set for a long time. According to Ms. Rudolph, Frank Hawley treasured the letter, framed it, and placed it on the wall of his study. When Frank’s son John Hawley and Deborah married, it was gifted to them and John admired it until his death.

一書拝呈仕候。残暑之砌御座候処 、

益御清勝被成御起居奉賀候。 

陳者御蔵書群書類従永々 

拝借寛々展覧仕難有奉謝候。 

則返上仕候間、御落掌可被成下候。 

右御謝辞迄若斯御座候。頓首。〔朱印〕 

 　　　八月廿日

(courtesy of Dr. Takatoshi Yamamoto, National Institute of Japanese Literature)