Modest Niijima Jo
Samurai to Pastor to Chancellor
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There were changes among young samurai who wanted to learn technology in the West. They hoped feudalism would end and the country would become open for world travel. Niijima Jo had a personal dream to go to America to learn English and to study about Christianity, which was a taboo in Japan. With the help of some friends he became a stowaway on two American ships. Finally he arrived at Boston harbor in Massachusetts in 1865. At the port, he heard the good news that the American Civil War had ended and slavery had been abolished. However, he also heard about the tragedy of President Lincoln’s assassination.
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About the Book
Carmen Sterba made many wonderful friends during her decades in Japan, but the most impressive person she came across was someone she learned about only in books: Niijima Jo. Born Niijima Shimeta, he was given the name “Jo” by Captain William Savory on the ship Berlin. Then Captain Horace Taylor arrived on Wild Rover. He befriended the young adventurer who was determined to escape his home to learn English and find God. This will be the second full biography of Niijima Jo in English since 1891. The author chronicles Jo’s magnificent life from his fearless trip to the United States in 1864-5 to his return to Japan as a pastor to the fulfillment of his dream of establishing Doshisha University in Kyoto in 1888. Against all odds, Jo became one of Japan’s most fascinating heroes, and the way he lived his life to the fullest holds lessons for us today. Discover how an underappreciated historical figure played a critical role in the development of Japan with this fascinating biography.
About the Author
Carmen Sterba went to Japan as a young American to study Japanese history and literature. She graduated with a bachelor of arts in Asian Studies from Sophia University in Tokyo before earning a master’s degree and teaching at Japanese women’s colleges. After thirty-two years, she returned to the United States of America, where she continued teaching. This is her largest book.