Description
In Remote Cipango
Book Summary
In 1927, writer Luis de Oteyza embarked on a journey that would take him from Spain to the heart of imperial Japan. This book, unpublished since its original release, collects the second part of that journey: his stay in the Japanese nation. Through its pages, the reader will discover a vivid and detailed portrait of cities such as Kobe, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, and Tokyo, combining travel chronicles with sharp observations of the cultured and worldly life of Japan in the 1920s. A work that recovers the gaze of an exceptional traveler upon a world in transformation.
What is it about?
The book narrates the continuation of the journey Luis de Oteyza began to distance himself from the Primo de Rivera dictatorship. After traveling through the Philippines, China, and Japan, his chronicle was interrupted upon reaching his final destination. In Remote Cipango picks up the narrative exactly at that point, offering a meticulous description of his stay in the Land of the Rising Sun. The author tours the main Japanese cities of the era, from the ports of Kobe and Osaka to the historic capitals of Nara and Kyoto, and modern Tokyo. With a direct and detailed style, Oteyza combines the chronicle of his excursions with an exploration of the social, cultural, and daily life of 1920s Japan, offering a unique perspective of a country that, to the West, remained a remote and fascinating enigma, just as Marco Polo named it.
Main themes
- Travel chronicles and exploration literature in the 20th century.
- Portrait of imperial Japan during the Taisho and early Showa eras.
- Contrast between Japanese cultural tradition and Western modernization.
- Voluntary exile and the search for creative freedom during the Primo de Rivera dictatorship.
- Worldly life, social customs, and cultured life in interwar Japan.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in classic travel literature, the history of modern Japan, and the chronicles of 20th-century explorers. It will also be of great interest to those seeking a literary and personal perspective on pre-World War II Japan, as well as to fans of the work of Luis de Oteyza and the Viento Simún collection from Ediciones del Viento.
What does this book contribute?
- A historical and literary testimony, unpublished for nearly a century, about 1920s Japan.
- A unique gaze from a Spanish writer fleeing censorship and immersing himself in a fascinating culture.
- Detailed descriptions of Japanese cities, temples, and customs from the perspective of a cultured and curious traveler.
- The opportunity to discover a lost work of Spanish travel literature, recovered for the contemporary public.
Technical data
- Author: de Oteyza, Luis
- Publisher: Ediciones del Viento
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Modern and contemporary fiction, Travel literature
- Collection: Viento Simún
- Binding: Other
- Publication date: May 2013
- Number of pages: 276
- Weight: 500 g
Editorial review
In Remote Cipango is a publishing recovery of great value for lovers of travel literature and cultural history. The work of Luis de Oteyza offers a direct and detailed testimony of a Japan that no longer exists, narrated with the freshness of a traveler writing from lived experience. Its interest lies as much in the quality of the observation as in the historical context of the author, which turns his journey into an act of freedom. A recommended read for those seeking an authentic chronicle, free of clichés and enriched by the gaze of a Spanish writer from the first third of the 20th century.