Japan isolated themselves from most of the world under
the policy of sakoku, limiting its contact with foreign nations to preserve the
Japanese way of life – until Americans forced the opening of Japanese ports
with “gunboat diplomacy”
But the Japan of Toru
the Wayfarer is different – this is a Japan where Toru, a traveller,
returned to Japan from the west with a warning – and guides to technology that
may save Japan and keep her independent: able to say no to the inevitable
arrival of foreigners
While this book was advertised as a steam punk, I think
it is much better termed an alternate history since, beyond a few dirigibles
and dubious submarines, there’s little steampunk element
This book looks at what would have happened if Japan had
managed to industrialise and arm itself with modern weaponry before Commodore Perry
forced the opening of Japan to trade and the end of the Sakoku isolationist
policy that Japan
The book contains a lot of historical references and
research drawing on actual events of the time as well as actual daimyos who
were present and involved in Japan at the time. It includes a lot of history of
Sakoku and policies around it.
We follow the story of how Toru, returning to Japan after
visiting America – back when it was illegal to do so and returning from abroad
carries the death penalty under the isolationist policy. He brings with him
lots of information from the west including a whole lot of guidance on
technology and weapons – and the warning that the Americans are coming. There
is a lot of references to the Unequal Treaties and stark warnings using China
as an example of how a mighty, ancient and great nation in the world can be
utterly abused by predatory treaties forced on them by gunboat diplomacy.
While Toru is certainly bringing in western technology
and knowledge to help “save” Japan, there is a definite emphasis on the
Japanese working together, working to keep themselves independent and free from
brutal unequal treaties. This is not a white saviour narrative, every character
in this book – except the late arriving western threat – are all Japanese and
there’s even an attempt to at least make the names of the technology they’re
adopting to fit Japanese pronunciation and word structure. There’s also a major
point that the technology would be adapted to Japanese ways – for example,
introducing sewing machines doesn’t mean that they’re going to produce western
clothing – they will make yukata and hakama. To quote:
