Published by Global Oriental, 2011. 404pp, hardback.

Launched in December 1869 in direct competition to The Illustrated London News , (ILN) which first appeared in 1842, The Graphic set out to upstage its competitor through the quality and amount of its illustrations (including colour) and the paper it was printed on. Together, however, the two periodicals dominated nineteenth-century British journalism. With circulations far in excess of The Times , the extent of the news - including considerable foreign reporting - opinion and miscellaneous data of these two publications provides an invaluable resource for researchers and historians.

As with the ILN, this complementary one-stop reference volume brings together the complete archive of all reports, features, illustrations and incidental commentaries relating to Japan from the first report of 5 February 1870 discussing Japan's recent civil war, the overthrow of the 'Shiogoon or Tyocoon', the restoration of the Emperor (Mikado) and a vindication of Britain's 'policy of firmness' vis a vis Japan. Its concluding report on 16 December 1899 (the year of the ratification of the ending of the Unequal Treaties was concluded) notes: 'No power in the world stands in a more delicate and difficult position than Japan does just now'

This volume of 400 pages includes an 8-page plate section featuring a selection of The Graphic's colour printing relating to Japan, a full cross-referenced Index by J.E. Hoare, together with an historical perspective by former British Ambassador to Japan Sir Hugh Cortazzi and an introduction to The Graphic in the context of nineteenth-century media history by Terry Bennett.

Terry Bennett is a specialist in early photography of the Far East, with expert knowledge of the photographic pioneers who first explored the world in the late nineteenth century. He is the co-author of Japan: Caught in Time (1995) and author of Early Japanese Images (1996), Korea: Caught in Time (1997), Photography in Japan 1853-1912 (2006), Old Japanese Photographs: Collector's Data Guide (2006), Japan and the Illustrated London News: Complete Record of Recorded Events, 1853-1899 (Ed. 2006) and has published many articles on related topics.

Sir Hugh Cortazzi was British Ambassador to Japan, 1980-84, and Chairman of the Japan Society, 1985-95. His many books include Isles of Gold: Antique Maps of Japan (1983), The Japanese Achievement (1990), his memoir Japan and Back and Places Elsewhere (1998), and most recently The Thames and l (as translator, 2005). He is also the editor of several volumes of Britain and Japan: Biographical Portraits and British Envoys in Japan, 1859-1972

J.E. Hoare completed a long career in the British diplomatic service as charge d'affaires in Pyongyang (2001-2) and has published widely on Korea and Japan, including Japan's Treaty Ports and Foreign Settlements (1994), Embassies in the East (1999) most recently (with Susan Pares) North Korea in the 21st Century (2005) and A Political and Economic Dictionary of East Asia (2005)

Important features:

• 8-page plate section featuring a selection of The Graphic's colour printing relating to Japan
• a full cross-referenced Index by J.E. Hoare
• an historical perspective by former British Ambassador to Japan Sir Hugh Cortazzi
• an introduction to The Graphic in the context of nineteenth-century media history by Terry Bennett.