After China
Johnston was appointed Professor of Chinese in the University of London in 1931, a post based at the School of Oriental and African Studies. In 1935 Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston bequeathed his library to the School of Oriental and African Studies in London England. His library, one of the finest collections of Chinese and East Asian books in the country, consists of over 16,000 volumes. He was not a natural teacher, and hated university administration.
He retained his ties with Puyi, which proved an embarrassment after the former emperor assumed the throne of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.
Johnston retired in 1937, having acquired the small island of Eilean Righ in Loch Craignish, Scotland, on which he created for himself a Chinese Garden and flew the flag of Manchukuo. After a short illness, he died in Edinburgh. In his will, he requested that no religious ceremony be conducted. In accordance with his wishes, he was cremated. His ashes were scattered on the island of Eilean Righ and surrounding Loch.
He never married but was at one stage engaged to the historian Eileen Power, and was close to author Stella Benson.
Mrs Elizabeth Sparshott, to whom he was engaged at the time leading up to his death, burned many of his letters and other materials, at Johnston's request.
Johnston's book Twilight in the Forbidden City (1934) describes his experiences in Beijing and was used as a source for Bernardo Bertolucci's film dramatization of Puyi's life The Last Emperor. He was portrayed by Peter O'Toole in the film.
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