南極探検飛行機双六 Nankyoku Tanken Hikouki Sugoroku [Antarctic Expedition Board Game]: 日本少年 Nihon Shonen [Japanese Boy]

Tokyo: Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha (東京, 実業之日本社), Volume 6.1, January 1, 1911. 21.9 cm; 128 pages, publisher's advertisement section. 3 full-page plates related to the Japanese Antarctic Expedition including one full-page plate showing Count Okuma and members of the Japanese Antarctic Support Committee, 1 plate featuring General Morsuki Nogi whose signed card is tipped into all copies of Nankyoku-ki, the official account of the JAE, and one full-page plate titled "Departure of the Antarctic Expedition" and containing four photographs related to Nobu Shirase and the day of departure for the Japanese Antarctic Expedition. Text in Japanese, Captions for the photographs state: (Top photo) The Lieutenant is about set sail with his party at twilight; (Bottom photo) The ship is rigged and waiting for the Lieutenant, young men see him off and exclaim "Banzai" enthusiastically; (center right: "Kainan-maru" is about to weigh anchor; (center left) speech by Count Okuma – Shirase's party at farewell ceremony at Shibaura, Tokyo on 28 November, and started on the life-or-death voyage from the homeland to the far south at 9:00 a.m. on 29 November (1910). Now housed in a custom green-silk fold-out box with paper labels on front and spine. Ross 3.23A

With Very Rare complete supplement:

南極探検飛行機双六

Nankyoku Tanken Hikouki Sugoroku

[Antarctic Expedition Board Game]

Captioned "Supplement to Nihon Shonen vol.6-1" and "cut out and use this sheet as a piece".

published on Jan-01 1911, text in Japanese, size: 78 cm x 54.4 cm. (30.7" x 21.4"). Offset color lithograph, illustrations by Akashi Sekishi. Colors bright and un-faded. With its original game board markers which are typically missing. A rare Japanese "Sugoroku" (雙六) board game, with the goal of completing a journey to Antarctica. The game board presents the players with four starting points for their respective expeditions including Tokyo, Berlin, London and New York. Each player must then pass through several colorfully imaged squares depicting world landmarks such as pyramids, the Great Wall, totem poles, etc. before reaching the inner 8 squares which depicting polar scenes. Antarctica is located at the center of the board. Boardgames were popular in Japan from the Edo-period onwards and in the first half of the 20th century. Themes varied and typically followed designs from politics, culture, and sports.

The game was inspired by Japanese Antarctic explorer, Nobu Shirase. Shirase originally hoped to be the first to the North Pole, but after Peary reported attainment of the pole in 1909, Shirase set his sights southward. On 29 November 1910, Shirase's expedition departed Tokyo Bay with the Japanese Antarctic Expedition. Their intention was to conquer the South Pole although their departure was months after both Scott's and Amundsen's expeditions had departed. Although Shirase did not reach the Pole, the expedition did achieve significant scientific research, discovered new lands and reached as far south as 80º5' South. On June 23,1912, the JAE returned to Japan as heroes. This publication and supplement are not listed in the original Shirase bibliography of 2010. Very Rare in this complete state.