On John Manjiro, one of the first Japanese residents of the US

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Ikoku monogatari: Nakanohama Manjirō ["Story of a foreign country: Nakanohama Manjirō"]

[Author unidentified]; [Kashii, Masateru (hand-copied by)].

[Japan], Kaei 5 [1852]. Manuscript.

A manuscript recounting the experiences of the Japanese boy Manjirō (later known as Nakanohama Manjirō, John Manjirō, and John Mung). In 1841, fourteen-year-old Manjirō was shipwrecked on an island while out fishing with a crew. A passing American whaling ship commandeered by Captain Whitfield rescued the stranded fishermen but was unable to return them to Japan due to the country's strict isolationist policy. After a stopover in Hawaii, Whitfield brought Manjirō back with him to the US, where the teenager went to school in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and later tried his luck at the California goldfields. In 1851 Manjirō managed to return to Japan, where he later worked for the shogunate as an official translator.

The manuscript details the account by Manjirō of his journey, including details of the crew's struggles after the shipwreck and their rescue and arrival in Hawaii, notes on the buildings, customs, foods and drinks of Hawaii, information on the political system, laws, clothing, customs, implements, fabrics, and language of the US, and so on. Some interesting inclusions are a Japanese translation of a lyric from Oh Susanna (picked up by Manjirō on the goldfields), references to opium and whaling, information on the customs and foods of African Americans, a list of items Manjirō brought back with him to Japan (including maps, gold, books, tools for geography, clothing, a compass, and other oddities), and a copy of a letter by Matsuhei Satsuma no Mori (Shimazu Nariakira, 1809-1858), the daimyō of Satsuma who questioned Manjirō when he arrived back in Japan. An important record of early Japanese impressions of the US.

One four-hole (yotsutoji) manuscript volume, presumed complete, on double leaves, traditional East Asian binding style (fukurotoji). Original upper wrapper and last leaf of text bound in nonoriginal wrappers. Stains, creases, and a sticker removal to outer wrappers. Stains, central fold, and soiling to original (inner) upper wrapper and leaves. A few small wormholes to text. [13] unpaged leaves. 24.5 x 16.4 cm

On John Manjiro, one of the first Japanese residents of the US
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