One man's visit to Japan's closed society changed the country's destiny
by Futility Closet from Boing Boing on (#342KH)
In 1848, five years before Japan opened its closed society to the West, a lone American in a whaleboat landed on the country's northern shore, drawn only by a sense of mystery and a love of adventure. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Ranald MacDonald as he travels the length of Japan toward a destiny that will transform the country.
We'll also remember a Soviet hero and puzzle over some security-conscious neighbors.