William Elliot Griffis

William Elliot Griffis (1843–1928) was an American orientalist, Congregational minister, educator, lecturer, and prolific author best known for introducing Japanese culture to the West through works like *The Mikado’s Empire*. He taught English, science, physics, and chemistry in Japan from 1870 to 1874, contributed to modernizing education there, tutored Japanese students at Rutgers, and later assisted Inazo Nitobe with *Bushido: The Soul of Japan*, earning Japanese honors including the Order of the Rising Sun.