The diplomat Francisco Reynoso (1856-1938) and his route around Meiji Japan

Abstract

This paper presents the figure of Francisco Reynoso (Valladolid, 1856 - Berna, 1938), from a new perspective that situates him as a tourist in Japan. This study offers many details about a figure which presently lacks a complete study, thoroughly analysing the work on Japan that he published after his return, as well as the impact of this publication. Reynoso was an important Spanish diplomat who witnessed many extraordinary events that marked the history of Europe and Spain. However, as he himself noted in his autobiography, one of the experiences that had a stronger impact on him was his stay in Japan when he was 26 years old. During the twelve months he remained in the country, he had the opportunity to witness the rapid transformation of Japanese society in the Meiji era and he tried to gain an in-depth knowledge of its culture and history. He also dedicated his leisure time to travel, visiting its most important cities and monuments and especially its landscapes. A result of this stay was his book En la Corte del Mikado. Bocetos japoneses (Madrid, 1904), which provides a complete and accurate vision of the country, as well as interesting information regarding how a foreigner travelled as a tourist in Japan in the early 1880s.