海國圖志(9)

Step into the mind of a 19th-century Chinese visionary as he demystifies the secretive 'warrior nation' of Japan and the uncharted islands of Oceania. Wei Yuan’s 'Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms' tackles a world in flux: How did Japan maintain its fierce isolation while the West began its relentless expansion? Readers will discover a rare, ethnographic perspective on samurai honor, ritual suicide, and the treacherous naval routes of the South Seas.