Mamiya's Maps
Currently myself and Akiko Shimojima are working on a book about Mamiya Rinzō 間宮 林蔵 and the Japanese explorations of Sakhalin Island in the early 19thC. An excellent subject which goes beyond the samurai type books that we have already done several of to, quite literally, explore other aspects of Japanese history. Mixed in between the main scenes of Mamiya exploring the island are scenes from the history of conflict and contact between the Ainu and the Japanese.
It's interesting to learn more about this ourselves and make a very neglected area of Japanese history better known. It's also still relevant now, because the ownership of those islands is still in dispute between Japan and Russia, as is the treatment of the Ainu and other indigenous people of that area.
Mamiya's Maps will come out in late 2022, from new European publisher, Eostre.
Here are some pages of rough art from various different parts of the book:
It's interesting to learn more about this ourselves and make a very neglected area of Japanese history better known. It's also still relevant now, because the ownership of those islands is still in dispute between Japan and Russia, as is the treatment of the Ainu and other indigenous people of that area.
Mamiya's Maps will come out in late 2022, from new European publisher, Eostre.
Here are some pages of rough art from various different parts of the book: