Emil Helfferich and Japan : His life and Japanese Collection

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the relationship between Emil Helfferich (1878-1972) and Japan, focusing on Helferrichʼs work with Japanese at East Java, his experiences during his 1924 and 1940 visit to Japan. And also to introduce his private Japanese collection. Although Helfferich was not irrelevant to the National Socialists, the purpose of the proposed thesis is not to focus on any political views or theories, but examining various perspectives based on international Japanese studies.Emil Helfferich was born fourth of seven children from a merchant family in Neustadt in the former Land Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. His eldest brother was Karl Helfferich, Vice Chancellor of the German Reich in the World War I and financial expert during the Weimar Republic.As a boy, Emil Helfferich dreamed of distant lands and a career in the navy of the newly risen German Empire. However, since the naval officer career remained closed because of a slight visual impairment, he chose another path in life as an overseas merchant to the delight of his father.His autobiography “Ein Leben” describes Helfferich and how he came to the profession of being a merchant. His main interest was not business and revenue related but adventuring and exploring distant lands. Thus he became an overseas trader. He had met a number of Japanese traders and business individuals when he visited East Java.His collaboration with Japanese merchants, expanded his field of activities to East Java and later to Central Java, bringing him into contact with Java sugar culture, but even more, opening up a new world for him, Japan later.He twice traveled to Japan, wrote about the journey and his impression of Japan in “Ein Leben”.In 1970, Helfferich moved back to his hometown of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse at the age of 92, handing over his collection and library catalogued under Emil Helfferich collection.He died in 1972 at the age of 94 years. His noteworthy collection of East Asian Studies has been in the East Asian Institute of the University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen since 1997.His Japanese collections consisting of arts and publications. There are dozens of Japanese Arts, such as Hasui Kawase (1883-1957), Gyokusei Tsukioka (1908-1994), a daughter of Kogyo Tsukioka, and Seiho Takeuchi (1864-1942), Satsuma ware, Kakejiku (Japanese hung scroll). And also there are around 140 collection of books related to Japan, mostly published in the prewar period.According to Japanese newspapers at that time, Emil Helfferich was only expressed on his political perspectives. However, it is clear that he was not only that categorized person, but he was, in short, a trader who has explored the world, and as an oriental art collector