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Title details for Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies by Robert Whiting - Available

Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies

The Outsiders Who Shaped Modern Japan

by Robert Whiting
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Photography in Japan 1853-1912 is a fascinating visual record of Japanese culture during its metamorphosis from a feudal society to a modern, industrial nation at a time when the art of photography was still in its infancy. The 350 rare and antique photos in this book, most of them published here for the first time, chronicle the introduction of photography in Japan and early Japanese photography. The images are more than just a history of photography in Japan; they are vital in helping to understand the dramatic changes that occurred in Japan during the mid-nineteenth century.
These rare Japanese photographs—whether sensational or everyday, intimate or panoramic—document a nation about to abandon its traditional ways and enter the modern era. Taken between 1853 and 1912 by the most important Japanese and foreign photographers working in Japan, this is the first book to document the history of early photography in Japan a comprehensive and systematic way.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 14, 2024

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781462924547

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781462924547
      • File size: 7373 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from April 12, 2024

      After Japan was occupied by U.S. forces in the post-World War II period, it was inundated with foreign opportunists looking to exploit financial possibilities, no matter the ethical or legal parameters. Whiting (Tokyo Underworld: The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan), a U.S. expat living in Japan, relates several stories of how several people from other countries have achieved notoriety for their attempts to make their mark in Japan. (The author himself first arrived in Japan in the early 1960s as a member of the U.S. Air Force.) His book's lively cast of characters includes American spies looking to counter potential communist threats; American, Korean, and Chinese casino and brothel owners; American lawyers who helped draft new laws; freethinking baseball managers; religious zealots from Korea; and more. One story that stands out in the book is about Sadaharu Oh--the former pro baseball player with the most career home runs in the world--who, born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Chinese father, never received the adoration that his accomplishments merited because of racial prejudices. VERDICT A brilliant, insightful look into the panoply of outsiders who contributed to the making of Japanese history in the modern age.--Brian Renvall

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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