Himawari, a library ship which had visited islands in the Seto Inland Sea, is on display in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, in February. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
A library ship named Himawari (Sunflower) used to make the rounds of the islands of the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture.
At each port of call, the vessel remained for just 40 minutes for patrons to come aboard and choose their books. Waves of the Danube, a well-known Romanian waltz, was played on the wharf to announce the ship s arrival. As soon as the strains were heard, school children and others would come running.
Jan 30, 2021
One of the joys of reading about history is the way in which each generation interprets the past through its own perspective. This isn’t simply new facts coming to light or official documents being unsealed rather, it’s the historian’s equivalent of “the observer effect” in physics: It’s impossible to completely remove yourself from your own context and perspective. There is no such thing as objective history. This, in part, helps explain the position Sakamoto Ryoma (1836-67) holds in the pantheon of Japanese greats every generation creates him anew.
Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration, by Marius B. Jansen
Network
Story
The early days of the Meiji era was a period of massive change as the Westernisation movement livened up society. During that time, there were a high incidence of bizarre cases. The special investigator Yuki Shinjuro, who has a good standing with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, returns to Japan after his travels abroad and is outspoken about the truth of these cases. Izumiyama Toranosuke, who learned swordsmanship from Katsu Kaishu, loves making deductions about difficult cases. He is always treated disparagingly and cries to have the brains and eyes of Kaishu whom he admires. One day, A masquerade ball bringing together important government officials is held at the residence of Kano Gohei, a wealthy merchant with political ties. However, Gohei and his wife Atsuko are murdered by someone right in front of everyone during the event. As the prime minister and ambassadors of foreign countries have been dragged into the incident, it could become an international