History of Asia

Who were professionals that the Japanese invited from abroad to teach modern skills?

Oyatoi gaikokujin (お雇い外国人, "hired foreigners") refers to foreign professionals hired by the Japanese government during the Meiji period (1868-1912) to teach modern skills and knowledge to the Japanese people. These professionals were invited from various countries, including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States. The following are some notable examples of oyatoi gaikokujin:

Thomas Blake Glover: A Scottish merchant who played a key role in Japan's industrialization efforts. He was involved in the construction of shipyards, railways, and coal mines.

William Smith Clark: An American agriculturalist who taught at Sapporo Agricultural College (now Hokkaido University). He is known for his famous phrase, "Boys, be ambitious!", which encouraged Japanese students to strive for excellence.

Guido Verbeck: A Dutch missionary and educator who taught English and Western subjects at various schools in Japan. He was also involved in the translation of the Bible into Japanese.

Ernest Satow: An English diplomat who served as the British Minister to Japan from 1895 to 1900. He was a scholar of Japanese language and culture and wrote several influential books on Japan.

Raphael von Koberger: A German military advisor who helped modernize the Japanese army. He was instrumental in the development of Japan's military conscription system and the establishment of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy.

Henry Dyer: An American civil engineer who was involved in the construction of Japan's first railway line between Tokyo and Yokohama.

William Elliot Griffis: An American educator and author who taught at various schools in Japan and wrote several books on Japanese history and culture.

Basil Hall Chamberlain: An English linguist and scholar who specialized in Japanese language and literature. He was the author of several important dictionaries and grammars of the Japanese language.

James Curtis Hepburn: An American missionary and physician who developed the Hepburn romanization system for writing Japanese words in the Latin alphabet.