Introduction

The histories of science, technology, and medicine (STM) in Japan are small but important fields, writings of which have often been subsumed under the auspices of other sub-disciplines such as economic or labor history. Given Japan’s reputation for technological innovation plus solid record of Nobel Prize laureates in both science and medicine, and nearly one hundred nominees, this is surprising. Yet until recently historians writing for an English language audience have largely neglected or stereotyped the histories of STM in Japan.