 In May 1887 he was invited by the Meiji government to assume the post of first unofficial professor of sanitary engineering at Tokyo Imperial University (he lectured as an engineer), at a time when the country was dealing with several serious epidemics, notably cholera.His appointment was unusual in that Burton was largely self-educated, and did not come with the impressive educational or professional credentials that many of his contemporaries had.It is not known who recommended Burton to the Japanese government, or what inspired him to leave a promising career in London for what he believed to be a temporary assignment in Japan.