There are around 170 societies and clubs of “Ryoma fans” – tens if not hundreds of thousands of them – in cities throughout Japan. Ryoma fans gather each year to celebrate Ryoma’s life and legacy. These events are held alternately in Ryoma’s hometown of Kochi, and another Japanese city where a Ryoma Society resides.
Other Ryoma events are also frequently held around Japan, including symposiums featuring panel discussions with and lectures by historians and writers. The poster shown here is from a symposium on the theme of internationalism and Sakamoto Ryoma, held in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan, in 2002. This was three years after the publication of my novel, Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai. I was honored to be included in the panel discussion.
