Published in 1916, during World War I, this is an original Japanese book titled “Umi no Shumi – Awakening Maritime Thought.”The author, Kin Wakabayashi, was a Lieutenant Commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy at the time of publication.This is much more than a general book about the sea. It was written to encourage the Japanese public to understand the importance of maritime trade, shipping, naval power, and overseas development at a time when Japan was rapidly expanding its role as a maritime nation.Wakabayashi was a career Japanese naval officer who was also active as a writer. Even in the late 19th century, he published articles and works related to the navy and naval warfare for a wider civilian audience. He was later promoted to Captain, making this book an interesting example of a professional naval officer explaining maritime and naval ideas directly to the public.The contents cover a surprisingly wide range of subjects, including:Maritime studies, foreign trade, naval power, merchant shipping, types of warships, warship construction and life aboard ship, submarines, naval aircraft, navigation, the Russo-Japanese naval war, and the South Pacific islands.One of the most historically interesting aspects of this book is its early publication date.It was published in 1916, long before the Pacific War, at a time when Japan was already thinking seriously about the relationship between sea power, international trade, overseas expansion, and national development.The illustrated pages are also attractive. They include a warship with Mount Fuji in the background, as well as maritime scenes. The cover features a bold fish design, giving the book an unexpectedly elegant appearance for a work connected to naval thought.Publication Date: May 15, 1916
Author: Kin Wakabayashi, Imperial Japanese Navy Lieutenant Commander
Publisher: Dobunkan
Pages: 334This is an approximately 110-year-old book and shows age-related wear, including staining, discoloration, wear to the covers and spine, and some looseness to the binding. Please carefully review the photos for condition.This is not simply an old Japanese book about the sea.It is a surviving document from the period when Japan was developing its vision of itself as a major maritime nation, linking the navy, trade, shipping, aviation, submarines, and the South Pacific into one broader idea of national development.A fascinating historical source for collectors of Imperial Japanese Navy material, maritime history, naval aviation, submarine history, and early 20th-century Japanese history.Own a Piece of History.Provided by HARU
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