Unrecorded Immigrant Guide to the US

[Guide for Recent Immigrants to the U.S.] Saikin tobei

Miyamoto, Kanjiro (editor)

Notes: An apparently unrecorded "tobei annai" or guide for going to America by a prolific author of such guides. This volume was published in the heyday of Japanese immigration, during the first decade of the 20th century before the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907 began to severely restrict Japanese citizens from coming to the United States. Like many such volumes, the publication was supported by advertising, primarily from tailors offering to outfit prospective immigrants in Western-style clothing.

According to Yasuo Sakata (On a Collision Course), which offers perhaps the best overview of the tobai annai genre: "As manuals for travelers and emigrants, they focused on the actual specifics of the destination and the experiences of travelers. The authors explained in detail everything from the reasons for emigration to North America and its expected benefits and experiences, to every possible situational scenario... Among the extremely limited surviving documents, these tobai annai provide valuable detailed descriptions that no other materials mention" (p. 41).

This volume offers specific information for immigrants destined for Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Texas, Utah, and Idaho, as well as practical recommendations for those intending to pursue agriculture or business.

[10], 140, [10] pages, including a page reproducing photographs of logging and workers in an orchard.

Not located in OCLC or any of the standard references. A Buried Past II, 1504, describes the sequel to this guide, but not this original.

Edition + Condition: First edition. Staples rusted, else very good in decorated wrappers with a nautical American flag motif.

Publication: Tokyo: Shuppan Kyou [Publishing Association], 1905 (Meiji 38).

Item No: #361060

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