SHIRASE, Nobu - KIMURA, Yoshimasa, & Taniguchi Zenya.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Shirase chui tankenki ("An Account of Shirase's Expedition to the South Pole"). First trade edition, following the almost unprocurable signed limited edition of 1940. Led by Shirase Nobu, "an adventurer of mythic proportions" (Stevenson), the Japanese Antarctic Expedition set a record for sledging with dogs and, in 1912, became only the fourth in history to cross the latitude of 80 degrees south. Shirase (1861-1946) grew up dreaming of polar exploration and began raising money for an Antarctic expedition in 1909. "In 1910, the 100 ft long Kainan Maru trawler (the 'Southern Pioneer') started the long trip south. The explorers would encounter a similar reception in New Zealand as they did at home - disdain and disbelief that a small boat and crew would withstand the extreme challenges of the icy oceans. Nobu's first attempt at Antarctic landfall ended due to snowstorms and harsh weather, forcing the boat to retreat to Australia... Nevertheless he was undeterred and, after wintering in Australia, the crew ventured south once more. This time they were successful, the Kainan Maru making landfall on the unexplored King Edward VII Land and the eastern part of the Ross Ice Shelf. At this time the Japanese explorer also encountered Amundsen's ship in the Bay of Whales and knew he had been beaten to the pole. Still he continued on, surveying the coastline and leading a small crew close to the pole" (International Antarctic Centre).This was the first full-length attempt to capture Shira

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