Okina Kyūin boarded the steamship Kaga Maru at the port of Yokohama in 1907, bound for America. For this ambitious young man, Japanese-American newspapers were an invaluable medium for communicating his opinions on important social issues and documenting everyday life in his community.
His vivid articles and stories established him as an essential voice among Japanese immigrants. This book examines Okina's life on the American West Coast in the context of U.S.-Japanese diplomatic relations between 1868 and 1924.