ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the response of Noguchi Yonejirō to Japonisme through an examination of his Japan-related writings in English and Japanese, of his interests in ukiyo-e, and of the development of his “Japanism” (Nihonshugi). Noguchi was recognized as an international poet from Japan for the success of his English publications. In his later years, he became known as a cultural ambassador of Japan, and he published war poems during World War II. This chapter explores how Noguchi rejected a facile imitation of the West and emphasized his Japanese cultural identity in his English writings. It also argues that Noguchi made efforts to connect Japan and the West, despite his reputation being overshadowed by his association with wartime nationalism in Japan.
