comte de Charles Montblanc

Born in Paris on May 12, 1833, Charles Ferdinand Camille Ghislain Descantons de Montblanc — often published as comte de Charles Montblanc — was a French diplomat and author. He is best known for his connection to Japan in the years just after the country opened more widely to foreign contact.

According to biographical sources, he went to Japan in 1858 with the mission of Baron Gros, learned Japanese quickly, and later became closely involved with the Satsuma domain's contacts in Europe. He helped support Satsuma's participation in the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris and is described by reference works as the first French diplomat accredited by the Emperor of Japan. He returned to France in 1869 and died in Paris on January 22, 1894.

Montblanc also wrote extensively about Japan. His known works include Le Japon (1865) and Le Japon, ses institutions, ses produits, ses relations avec l'Europe (1867), along with articles for learned societies. His writing is valued today as a contemporary European view of Japan during the final years of the shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji era.