The year is 1843, and few Japanese knew that the Western world even existed. Commodore Perry arrives with a letter from the American President, and East meets West.

For centuries, Japan had isolated itself from the outside world by refusing to trade with other countries and even refusing to help shipwrecked sailors, foreign or Japanese. The country's people still lived under a feudal system like that of Europe in the Middle Ages. But everything began to change when American Commodore Perry and his troops sailed to the Land of the Rising Sun, bringing with them new science and technology, and a new way of life.

1986 Newbery Honor Books