Henry Willard Denison
| Henry Willard Denison | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 11, 1846 Guildhall, Vermont, United States |
| Died | July 3, 1914 (aged 68) Tokyo, Japan |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | lawyer |
Henry Willard Denison (May 11, 1846 – July 3, 1914) was an American diplomat and lawyer, active in Meiji period Japan.
Denison was born in Guildhall, Vermont, and spent his early years at Lancaster, New Hampshire. He was a graduate of Columbia University, and went to George Washington University to study law in 1868, but did not graduate before he left for Japan in 1869while working as a clerk for the Revenue and Customs Department in Washington D.C. In an 1875 letter he indicates he worked in the U.S. Treasury Department from 1864-1869.
In 1869, Denison was appointed Vice Consul at the United States Consulate at Yokohama, Japan, where his duties were primarily to serve as public prosecutor in the consulate court. At the time, the Japanese government's jurisdiction over foreigners in Japan was limited by the extraterritoriality provisions of the unequal treaties. On July 14, 1875, he wrote U.S. Minister John A. Bingham, whom he and his wife knew well, indicating that he wanted help in securing a position with the Japanese government, preferable in the Ministry of Finance or in the Foreign Office. His contract expired in 1876, but at the recommendation of American Counsul John A. Bingham, he stayed on in Yokohama to practice law. Denison came to the notice of the Japanese government for his skill as a lawyer, and in 1880, at the recommendation of the American Counsul Charles E. DeLong, accepted a post as a foreign advisor to the Japanese government. He was immediately tasked the providing an explanation on the meaning of the Elements of International Law a book on international law that was widely used in Asia during that time.
...
Wikipedia