The monument to the Japanese warship Kanrin Maru is at Lincoln Park in San Francisco – a beautiful spot, just behind the Legion of Honor museum of fine arts, overlooking the Golden Gate. The Kanrin sailed through the Golden Gate on St. Patrick’s Day of 1860 – 160 years ago next month – as meticulously recorded by the ship’s captain, Katsu Rintaro (aka Katsu Kaishu), in his journal-like account, published in his history of the Japanese navy, Kaigun Rekishi (海軍歴史).

[The famous photo of Katsu Kaishu was taken during his stay in San Francisco. Kaishu is the “shogun’s last samurai” of my Samurai Revolution, a biographical account of his indispensable role in the Meiji Restoration. The photo is used in the book courtesy of Ishiguro Keisho.]