The Dominion and the Rising Sun is the first major study ofCanada’s diplomatic arrival in Japan and, by extension, EastAsia. It examines the political, economic, and cultural relationsforged during this seminal period between the foremost power in Asiaand the young dominion tentatively establishing itself in worldaffairs.
The book begins with the opening in 1929 of the Canadian legation inTokyo -- Canada’s third such office overseas -- and concludeswith the outbreak of hostilities in 1941. Primarily a diplomatichistory, the book also assesses the impact of traders, interest groups,and missionaries on Canadian attitudes toward Japan during the interwaryears. More fundamentally, it examines Canada’s diplomatic comingof age closely, revealing its important Pacific dimension and thetension between Canada’s commitment to peace and its trade withan aggressor.