Genkon Tobei Annai [Today's Guide to Travel in America]

Osaka: Ishizuka Shoten, 1906. Good.. 4,4,154,38,[1]pp. Original illustrated wrappers printed in black, green, yellow, and mauve. Wrappers soiled, scuffed, and foxed, mild chipping at corners. Inside front wrapper reinforced with tissue paper. Occasional light foxing to text. A rare and early Japanese travel guide to the United States at the height of the first American travel boom. At the time, many Japanese citizens believed that the United States offered unlimited opportunities for wealth and advancement. The foreword of the present work reflects this sentiment, promoting the U.S.A. as a land of opportunity. Other parts of the book provide practical (truncated) advice for prospective travelers -- information on obtaining a passport, boarding a ship, even finding employment upon arrival, and more information aimed at a traveller who is looking to be more of an emigrant. Subsequent chapters offer a general background on immigration, the social situation in the country, and more, with the final chapter touching on travel and emigration to Mexico. The last portion of text is an appendix supplying detailed information on visa and migrant regulations. OCLC only records a 1903 example under the same title, presumably part of a series of annual travel guides, but not the present year. (Inventory #: 5911)