Hugh Cortazzi
Sir Hugh Cortazzi British Ambassador to Japan | |
|---|---|
| In office 1980–1984 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Sir Michael Wilford |
| Succeeded by | Sir Sydney Giffard |
| Deputy Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | |
| In office 1975–1980 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 May 1924 Sedbergh, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 14 August 2018 (aged 94) Westminster, London, England |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Montagu |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Diplomat, businessman, academic |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Flying Officer |
Sir Arthur Henry Hugh Cortazzi, Japan Society of London (1985–95).[1]
Early life
Cortazzi was educated at
Flying Officer in December 1945,[4] and left the service in 1947, after which he joined the Foreign Office.[1] In 1998 Cortazzi published his autobiography, Japan and Back, and Places Elsewhere.[5]
Diplomatic career
After the War, the
British Foreign Office posted Cortazzi to Singapore (1950–1951) and to Tokyo (1951–1954). After returning to Whitehall (1954–1958), he was posted to Bonn (1958–1960). Another stint in Tokyo (1961–1965) preceded his return to London (1965–1966). Another posting in Tokyo (1966–1970) was followed by a different kind of opportunity at the Royal College of Defence Studies (1971–1972), after which he was posted to Washington, D.C. (1972–1975).[1]
In 1975, Cortazzi was appointed Deputy Under-Secretary of State. The next few years in the
Knight Commander the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. He spent the next four years in Tokyo.[1]
Businessman
Sir Hugh retired from public service after his years as
Japan Times.[5]
In 2006, Sir Hugh's translation of the Japanese
Crown Prince Naruhito's account of his time at Oxford was published as The Thames and I.[5]
Sir Hugh diversified his experiences with time spent as a Director of Hill Samuel and Company, later Hill Samuel Bank (1984–1991). He has been a Director of Director: Foreign and Colonial Pacific Trust since 1984; a Director of GT Japan Investment Trust since 1984; and a Director of Thornton Pacific (formerly Pacific) Investment Trust since 1986. Since 1992 he has served as Senior Adviser to a number of Japanese multi-national businesses with significant interests in the United Kingdom—such as, NEC Corporation, Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank, Bank of Kyoto.[1]
Sir Hugh was a member of the
Robinson College, University of Cambridge, (1988).[1]
He died on 14 August 2018 at the age of 94.[6]
Honours
- University of Stirling, Honorary doctorate, 1988.[1]
- Order of the Sacred Treasure, Grand Cordon (Japan), 1995.[1]
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), 1969.[1]
- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG), 1980.[1]
- GCMG), 1984.[1]
Selected works
Sir Hugh has written, edited, translated or contributed to a number of books on the history of
Japanese history or culture.[5] He has also written articles on Japanese themes in English and Japanese publications.[1]
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Hugh Cortazzi, OCLC/WorldCat encompasses roughly 60+ works in 100+ publications in 4 languages and 4,000+ library holdings.[7]
- 2009 – Japan in Late Victorian London: The Japanese Native Village in Knightsbridge and 'The Mikado', 1885, Sainsbury Institute, 2009 ISBN 954-592-115-3
- 2009 – Introduction to A Diplomat in Japan Part II: The Diaries of Sir Ernest Satow, 1870-1883, lulu.com
- 2007 – Britain & Japan: Biographical Portraits, vol. VI. Folkestone, Kent: ISBN 978-190-524633-5(cloth)]
- 2005 – Britain & Japan: Biographical Portraits, vol. V. Folkestone, Kent: ISBN 978-1-901903-48-5(cloth)
- 2003 – Britain & Japan: Biographical Portraits, vol. IV. London: Curzon. ISBN 978-190-335014-0(Cloth)
- 2001 – British Envoys in Japan, 1859–1972. Folkestone, Kent: ISBN 1-901903-51-6.
- 2001 – Japan Experiences : Fifty Years, One Hundred Views Post-War Japan Through British Eyes, 1945-2000, Folkestone Kent: ISBN 978-190-335004-1(cloth)
- 2000 – Collected Writings of Sir Hugh Cortazzi, vol. II; London: Routledge. ISBN 1-873410-96-4(cloth)
- 1998 – Japan and Back and Places Elsewhere [reprinted ISBN 978-1-901-90320-1(cloth)]
- 1995 – Caught in Time: Japan (with Terry Bennett). Boston: ISBN 978-0-834-80343-5(cloth)
- 1994 – Japan. New York: Paul & Co. Publishers Consortium; ISBN 978-187-393855-3
- 1993 – Modern Japan: a concise survey [reprinted by ISBN 978-0-333-54340-5(paper)]
- 1992 – Britain and Japan 1859-1991: Themes and Personalities (with Gordon Daniels). London: Routledge; ISBN 978-0-415-05966-4(cloth)
- 1990 – The Japanese Achievement: a short history of Japan and Japanese culture. London: ISBN 978-0-312-04237-0(cloth)]
- 1988 – Kipling's Japan, (with George Webb); London: ISBN 978-0-485-11348-8(cloth)
- 1987 – Victorians in Japan: in and around the Treaty Ports, London: ISBN 978-0-485-11312-9(cloth)
- 1987 – Japanese Encounter, Tokyo: Eichosha Shinsha
- 1987 – Zoku, Higashi no Shimaguni, Nishi no Shimaguni, Chuokoron-sha
- 1986 – Second Thoughts (essays). Tokyo: Eichosha Shinsha
- 1985 – Dr. Willis in Japan, 1862–1877: British Medical Pioneer, London: ISBN 978-0-485-11264-1(cloth)
- 1984 – Higashi No Shimaguni, Nishi No Shimaguni (collection of articles and speeches in Japanese), Chuokoron-sha
- 1984 – For Japanese students of English: Thoughts from a Sussex Garden (essays), Tokyo: Eichosha Shinsha
- 1983 – Isle of Gold: Antique Maps of Japan Boston: Weatherhill; ISBN 978-0-834-80184-4(cloth)
- 1980 – The Lucky One and Other Humorous Stories
- 1972 – The Guardian God of Golf and other humorous stories [reprinted as The Lucky One, 1980]
Editor
- 2004 – Hiro no Miya Naruhito. The Thames and I: A Memoir Of Two Years At Oxford (tr., Hugh Cortazzi). Folkestone, Kent: Global Oriental.
- 2000 – Shillony, Ben-Ami. Collected Writings of Ben-Ami Shillony (eds., ISBN 1-873410-99-9(cloth)
- 1991 – ISBN 978-1-873-04705-7(cloth)]
- 1991 – Brunton, Richard Henry. Building Japan, 1868–1876 (ed., Hugh Cortazzi). Folkestone Kent: ISBN 978-1-873-41005-9(cloth)
- 1985 – Algernon Bertram Freeman-ISBN 978-1-903-35007-2(paper)]
- 1982 – ISBN 0-8348-0172-8(cloth)
- 1972 – Keita Genji. The Ogre and other stories of the Japanese Salarymen (tr., Hugh Cortazzi). Tokyo: Japan Times.
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Japan Society Archives: GB 2247 CORTAZZI
- ^ Peter Kornicki, Eavesdropping on the Emperor: Interrogators and Codebreakers in Britain's War with Japan (London: Hurst & Co., 2021), pp. 166, 246-7, 254-5, 264-5, 279-80.
- ^ Higham, Nick (12 August 2015). "How the UK found Japanese speakers in a hurry in WW2". BBC News. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ a b The London Gazette [dead link]
- ^ a b c d Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation: book launch Archived 9 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sir Hugh CORTAZZI
- ^ WorldCat Identities Archived 30 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine: Cortazzi, Hugh
See also
- Heads of the United Kingdom Mission in Japan
- Anglo-Japanese relations
- Global Oriental—Cortazzi on publisher's Advisory Board
References
- Cortazzi, Hugh. "A Japanese sense of humor?", Japan Times. 27 March 2007.
- "Birthdays: Hugh Cortazzi", Times of London. 2 May 2006.
External links
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