This is a rare manuscript example of part of Fuko Mineta's Kaigai Shinwa, which was published in 1849 to share news of the First Opium War in China (1839-1842) with a Japanese audience. Although Japan traditionally had a "Sakoku“ (closed country) policy, regulated trade with the Chinese and Dutch was permitted at the port of Nagasaki. Therefore, any news that the Japanese received from the outside world was based on second-hand knowledge gleaned in Nagasaki. In telling the story of the First Opium War and the power of the British Navy, Fuko Mineta, a low-ranking samurai scholar, elected to blend historical events with a storytelling narrative that would appeal to a broader audience. Kaigai Shinwa was written in five volumes and included woodblock illustrations and maps of the world and China. Although Mineta's work became popular among intellectuals, it was not well-received by Shogunate officials, who were concerned that it might cause public unrest and concern. It was eventually banned by the Shogunate and Mineta was imprisoned for publishing his work without obtaining official approval. Copies of Kaigai Shinwa were destroyed, and manuscript examples began to surface in order to share and protect the work.

This manuscript example includes the first three volumes (out of five) of Kaigai Shinwa in a single volume, and features two double-page maps, six double-page illustrations, and 2 single-page illustrations. Three of the double-page engravings from the original Kaigai Shinwa have not been included in this example: Fall of Dinghai, A Feast for the Rebel Leader Elliot, and Local Braves in Combat. The hand-drawn illustrations are:

1. Map of the World, which shows areas under British control shaded in red
2. Map of China
3. An English Leader in Uniform
4. An English Foot Soldier in Uniform
5. An English Warship
6. An English Steamship
7. Incineration of Opium at the Bogue
8. The British Fleet Sets Out from the River Thames
9. A Monster, with two heads, a number of eyes, and spewing poisonous smoke
10. Tuan Yongfu Burns the Barbarian Ships

This work is an important record of Japan's understanding of the world around them in the mid-nineteenth century. It gave the Japanese insight into the power and potential destructive nature of foreign nations, just a few years before Commodore Matthew Perry would arrive in Japan and demand treaties with Japan.

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Condition: B

The images and text have light to moderate soiling, with small, scattered worm tracks, and a few mildew stains. The paper covers are soiled and worn.