2012 Volume 7 Issue 2 Pages 225-249
Jared Diamond's seminal book Guns, Germs, and Steel was published in 1997 and immediately became a bestseller. The Japanese translation of this book was subsequently published in 2000 and it attracted a large readership during the decade of the 2000s. Diamond's main argument that the human geographic setting was advantageous in the development of European society received both positive and negative reviews in anglophone publications, including a number of strong criticisms from geographers. In Japan, however, the book was overwhelmingly praised in various reviews, and despite its relevance to the discipline, very few geographers voiced their opinions publicly. Through the analysis of this book and published reviews (in both English and Japanese), this paper examines the acceptance processes of Guns, Germs, and Steel, which took a different path between the anglophone and Japanese publishing world. It argues that while introducing academic works from overseas is crucial, critical perspectives and discussions are essential to develop the discipline of geography in Japan.
