As helpful as it is to have a Western author give his understanding of the culture, there are inherent biases within the book that affect how the audience interprets it (his explanation of Buddhism, for example, is prejudiced since he was a Jesuit priest). Rodrigues also left Portugal at fifteen years old and never returned, so his recollection of European society and mannerisms that he gave at sixty may not be accurate. Additionally, the copyist who transcribed This Island of Japon “made mistakes and omissions due to his carelessness”. Michael Cooper, the translator, believes that these errors had little effect on the accuracy of the text, yet there were enough errors to note that they were made in the first place. Finally, Cooper said that he had taken “liberties with the length of the text,” greatly shortening Rodrigues’ work. These omissions were deemed unimportant to the translator, but to a reader may be essential. Despite the biases Rodrigues would likely have had when producing his book and the textual changes made by the copyist and translator, This Island of Japon remains a valuable primary source when examining late medieval Japanese culture and
As helpful as it is to have a Western author give his understanding of the culture, there are inherent biases within the book that affect how the audience interprets it (his explanation of Buddhism, for example, is prejudiced since he was a Jesuit priest). Rodrigues also left Portugal at fifteen years old and never returned, so his recollection of European society and mannerisms that he gave at sixty may not be accurate. Additionally, the copyist who transcribed This Island of Japon “made mistakes and omissions due to his carelessness”. Michael Cooper, the translator, believes that these errors had little effect on the accuracy of the text, yet there were enough errors to note that they were made in the first place. Finally, Cooper said that he had taken “liberties with the length of the text,” greatly shortening Rodrigues’ work. These omissions were deemed unimportant to the translator, but to a reader may be essential. Despite the biases Rodrigues would likely have had when producing his book and the textual changes made by the copyist and translator, This Island of Japon remains a valuable primary source when examining late medieval Japanese culture and