ABSTRACT
Nan'yo jiji, published in 1887 by Maruya, marked the start of Shiga's career as a journalist and political activist. The book was written in two weeks immediately following his return from ten months as official interpreter, diplomatic scholar and naturalist on the ship Tsukuba, cruising the South Seas (see map, pp. 6668).1 Written in a travelogue style, through a series of diary entries recording his first-hand observations, interpretations and even dreams, the book contains a clear warning for Japan.
