VS Madam Butterfly

I will wirte again the things related to the exhibition of antique books on the last post in this blog.

Last weekend, I could have the chance to listen to a lecture in the exhibition. The lecture was for a famous opera and novel, "Madam Butterfly".
I am a book-sales man, so, of course, I knew the title. But, all I knew before the lecture was the title only. I hadn't read it, and even the author.
But, anyway, I had to go to the lecture. It was produced by my important cliant. I was inhibited to escape from it.

"Madam Butterfly" is the story of a Japanese woman in Meiji period after 1867. Japan changed the foreign policy then, and opened herself to other countries.
The story starts with the love romance between a Japanese lady and an American navy. They see each other in Japan and fall in love soon. And the Japanese lady becomes a pregnant. But, the navy have to go back to America. He promises to see her again in three years.
The lady waits for him, and lives by herself for three years. But, when he comes to Japan again, she realises that he got married with another American woman.
She becomes shocked, and commits suicide.

This story seems to be easy but modified many times by authors.("Autohrs" means six people have the relationship with the novel and opera.)
In a version of the story, she fails to commit suicide. I another version, she gets a lot of money from the man.
I heared from a professer of the lecture that the story "Madam Butterfly" influenced on the making of the images of Japan in Western countries very much.
Most interesting thing I know in the lecture is that five in the six authors hadn't come to Japan, even though the stage of the story was in Japan. It means they could know Japan very well by varietes of media at that time.

In this exhibition, the oldest and the most important books are a Hollander author, Montanus' ones. His book "Gedenkwaerdige gesantschappen der Ooost-Indische Maestschppy in 't Vereenigde Nederland, aen de Kaisaren van Japan" was published in 1669. It is the oldest book in the exhibition ,very rare and very important for Japan study. But, Montanus hadn't come to Japan. The fact is very interesting.
Everytime I see old books, I can get new information. Tomorrow, I will go to the exhibition again. I am looking forward to my new finding.