This article is dedicated to the life and works of Uchida Masao (1839–1876), a Japanese writer, translator and teacher of the second half of the nineteenth century. The world geography encyclopedia “Yochi Shiryaku” (“Short Description of the World”, 1871–1880) is considered his main work. During the Meiji period (1868–1912), it was a bestseller. The encyclopedia was so popular that it was called “one of the three [outstanding] books of the Meiji period” (Meiji no sanshyo). Despite Uchida Masao’s rich literary legacy, his name is now practically unknown.
Keywords:
Uchida Masao; world geography; encyclopedia; Yochi Shiryaku; Meiji period
