Word: reischauer
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...Reischauer does disentangle himself from current Japanese politics often enough to write many articles for various Japanese magazines. Usually these pieces take the form of semi-scholarly comments on Japanese history. "It's my field, after all," he added with a smile. These articles, however, are only popularizations of ideas he had when he still owned a stall in Widener. Original research and serious writing will have to wait until he leaves the government...
...enjoyments which the government has managed to curtail only minimally is his garrulousness When he first accepted the appointment as Ambassador, "I knew that I would have to be much more cautious in what I said." But this restriction has been much less irksome than he had feared. Reischauer estimates that he is still able to express openly about 95 per cent of what he would like to. But he admits with a boyish grin that on occasion he will preface a comment with "Well, I can't answer that as Ambassador, but if you want an answer...
...only these occasional questions for which he assumes the guise of professor. Essentially, Reischauer sees himself as a scholar, a scholar gone government, but a scholar nonetheless. This certainly doesn't make him a member of some isolated academic world; in fact, he sees little inherent difference between a professor and a government official. "If a scholar isn't enough of a realist to be able to serve in the government, he isn't much of a scholar. And if an official doesn't have enough perspective, he won't be much of an official...
...Japanese, however, a professor in public life is an extraordinarily novel occurrence. Reischauer seems to delight in the fact that he consequently puzzles the Japanese no end. They know him as a scholar, but now he comes to them in the guise of a politician, an Ambassador. He believes that much of the trust and respect which he personally is accorded results primarily from his own reputation as a scholar. The singular rapidity with which the Japanese government approved his appointment two-and-a-half years ago could be due to this deep personal respect which they have...
...effect Reischauer's government service will have upon his scholarly career will be to make him a specialist in modern Japanese history, although he began as an ancient historian. Previously he had explored fairly extensive areas of Far Eastern history, but had only taken a "few brief looks at modern history. At least, I'll still be in the same country," he observed. He does intend to return to teaching after his stint in Japan ends, but has made no definite plans. As I left him however, there was little doubt in my mind that be would return to pedagogy...