KAIGAI IBUN: STRANGE INFORMATION FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA. [Japanese Casta

[Japan], n.p. 1854, Seifuen Juou]. Stitched wrs.,5 vol. set, 17.5 x 25.5 cm., Japanese text, double-page color map, 13 double-page & 26 single-page illustrations, woodblock color printed, 101 double-sheets in all. FIRST & ONLY RARE EDITION In the 18th and 19th centuries many Japanese junks were driven by storms and currents to the California coast. Under punishment of death by the Shogun, no Japanese were allowed to leave nor return back to Japan from about 1604 through 1867. This tale is an exception to that rule ! * JAPANESE TITLE: Kaigai Ibun, Ichimei, Amerika Shinwa. * The true and fascinating story of 13 Japanese castaways who were rescued in mid-ocean, then taken to Mexico and finally returned to Japan via Canton. The story was written by one of the castaways, Hatsutaro [no last name was held by him at that time, a common Japanese name feature] then published in Japan. Hatsutaro was a peasant from Awa, along with twelve other sailors were the crew aboard the Eiju Maru, a coastwise shipping vessel. They were blown out to sea in their disabled craft. The work is vividly illustrated with some 39 color pages [13 are double-page illustrations] in all. With charming and naive scenes of early Mexico, their homes, people, activities and native costumes. * This fascinating primary resource covers the tale of the story of castaways as written by Hatsutaro. They were all lost off the coast of Hyogo, Japan in 1841, the crew of 13 men sailed without rudder for some six months southeast to be rescued by a Spanish galleon returning from S. China, and then dropped off in Baja California, at San Jose del Cabo. They went to Mazatlan, and eventually boarded a ship bound for Canton, and then back to Nagasaki in 1854. A wonderfully brilliant work, full of excitement and the unusual. * There is a lovely double-page map in full color of the Pacific showing the route of the author, his visit to Lower [Baja] California and Mexico, and his return back to Japan. See Maekawa below for full English translation of the voyage. * COMPILER: A-Boku Shin-Wa compiled by Confucian minister Bunzo MAEKAWA and that was then translated by Zumwinkle, see citation below. * COLLATION: Vol. 1: 26 sheets, 2 sheets preface, 1-18 pages text 4 . sheets illustrations, 2 sheets maps. Vol. 2: 20 sheets, 1-15 text, 5 sheets illustrations. Vol. 3: 21 sheets: 1-19 text, 2 sheets illustrations. Vol. 4: 19 sheets: 1-10 text, 9 sheets illustrations. Vol. 5: 15 sheets: 1-9 text, 6 sheets illustrations. All illustrations are in color. Issued with no title page, no Hashira title, no colophon; above extracted from Kerlen & Toda, see bibliography below. *** FULL TITLE: Title: KAIGAI IBUN, STRANGE INFORMATION FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA [or STORY OF A CASTAWAY] Subtitle: AMERIKA SHINWA: The New Story of America. *** CONTENTS: Book 1: The preface, with notes on the illustrations, map of the castaways' route. Narrative from the time their drifting began until their arrival in America, and their sojourn at the town of San Jose [del Cabo]. * Book 2: The account of the homeward voyage from America across the ocean to Canton, in China. The account of the trip from Canton to Chapu [Ning-po] and their return to Japan. * Book 3: Geography, climate, population, language, food and drink, housing. * Book 4: clothing, customs. * Book 5 : Amusements, coinage, ships, flora, faunal. *** THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION: We also include a copy of the full English tranlation of MAEKAWA, Bunzo: "KAIGAI IBUN: A Strange Tale From Overseas, or a New Account Of America. compiled from the narrative of Hatsutaro, a Japanese Castaway" title with any order for this book. See below for bibliographical details. *** BIBLIOGRAPHY: Dawson's Book Shop: ASIATIC BOOKS 1949-1952 compiled by Jack Gyer, item #211, page 29. * H. Kerlen: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS AND MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS, no. 724, page 311. * MAEKAWA, Bunzo. comp. et al. KAIGAI IBUN: A Strange Tale From Overseas, or a New Account Of America. compiled from the narrative of Hatsutaro, a Japanese Castaway. Los Angeles 1970, Dawson's Book Store. This work provides an excellent and complete English translation of the text along with many color illustrations. Translated by Richard Zumwinkle, assisted by Tadanobu Kawai. FIRST & ONLY LIMITED EDITION OF 900 Copies only. * K. Toda: THE RYERSON COLLECTION OF JAPANESE AND CHNESE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS: p.441 * KSM: [kiko, hyoruki], 2-5-3 * Dawson's Book Store, ASIATIC BOOKS, catalog by Jack Gyer, L.A. 1952, item 211, page 29. * Not in Mitchell ***** .