Super Short Summary

In the mid-1800s, Japanese fisherman Manjiro Nakahama is shipwrecked, rescued by an American whaling ship, and exposed to Western culture. His curiosity leads him through adventures in America and back to Japan, where he ultimately helps end Japanese isolationism and achieves his dream of becoming a samurai. The book includes depictions of cultural stereotypes and biases from the era it is set, including racially motivated attempted violence.