The Standard History of Japanese Hawaiians in a Presentation Binding

[History of the Japanese in Hawaii] Hawai nihonjin shi [Deluxe Issue]

Kihara, Ryukichi

Notes: The deluxe issue of this record of the Japanese in Hawaii, bound in brilliant purple cloth and housed in a paper clamshell case and a wooden box.

"A standard prewar history of the Japanese in Hawaii with sections on history, demography, print media, finance, commerce, agriculture, religion, education, and community organizations. Includes descriptions of Hawaiian geography, society, customs, commerce, industry, and history. Also includes an Issei Who's Who."—A Buried Past II, 1817.13 for the modern facsimile.

"One of the 'standard' histories of the Japanese in Hawaii, written by a former newspaper reporter. Divided into three parts: (1) a survey of history, geography, and current conditions; (2) history of change in various aspects of Japanese life; and (3) a collection of historical anecdotes relating to the Hawaiian Japanese, chronologically arranged. Many statistical tables are provided, drawn from Hawaii government and Japanese consular documents as well as from old newspapers and published books."—The Japanese in Hawaii: An Annotated Bibliography of Japanese Americans, p. 193.

Kihara (1898–1973) provides a very detailed history of Japanese settlement in the island, with considerable focus on discrimination and unfair treatment of immigrants. In the May 1, 1935 issue of the Jitsugyo no Hawai newspaper, this book was advertised as an account of "the great struggle of the Japanese in Hawaii."

[10 halftone plates], 2, 2, 2, 4, 18, 891, 32 (ads) pages, with many halftone plates of prominent Japanese men and businesses are included in the pagination.

The outer box measures roughly 10-1/2 by 8 by 2-1/4 inches.

OCLC: 35024506, 33586308, 675909542

Edition + Condition: First edition, bound in brilliant purple cloth (the trade issue has canvas cloth covers), laid into a purple paper clamshell box with yellow title labels. The clamshell box lays into a lacquered koa wood box with a decal of the coat of arms of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The book is a lovely example of fine Japanese product presentation. The book is a bit musty; the lacquer finish on the top of the lid is a bit uneven, otherwise this is a fine copy of a rare deluxe issue.

Publication: Tokyo: Bunseisha, 1935 (Showa 10).

Item No: #360879

Price: $3,500