182 years ago, a boat carrying a man called Otokichi and his companions ran off course after leaving Onoura in Bishu. Otokichi spent five years abroad before at last returning to Japan, only to be refused permission to land and forced to live elsewhere. Otokichi then worked for a British trading company while based in China, assisted in the world's first Japanese translation of the Bible, and through his wide network of connections including British and American missionaries, knocked on the door to end national isolation from the outside. This fact was not mentioned in Japanese history.
Selected Papers No.18