Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy

Shipwrecked is an inspiring story about a a Japanese boy named Majiro . The book starts out with his dad passing away when he was only 9 years old. The burden of caring for his family is laid on him. That means taking care of his mother, 3 younger brothers ,3 younger sisters,and one older brother who is to weak to care for the family. Every morning little Ma giro sets off to see his fishermen group till one day they went on a fishing trip. They did not catch anything till there 3rd day . The third day they went fishing day and night. That night they had to fight a storm for a few days. The storm thankfully provided icicles from their clothes and hair that provided fresh water for them to drink. When the storm was over they found themselves drifting toward an island. They had to devise a plan quickly, because their raft was about to be smashed and there were sharp icy rocks that surrounded the whole island. They threw their bodies into the water and swam to the island. They found themselves in a large enough cave for the entire fishing group. The cave was dark and cold , but at least they had a place to stay. The only thing they ate was cold raw bird meat and clams that were stuck to the sharp rocks. A few weeks later there was a group of American Whalers that came by the island. They saw the fishing group and took them onto there ship. The whalers would use the whales blubber as oil. The Americans were very nice to the fishing group, but the fishing group could not go back to Japan. The law of Japan was once out of the country there's no coming back or you will be killed. So the fishing group stuck with the Americans when they went to USA. Majuro was fostered by a captain who just got married and owned a farm. Majuro is put in a school for navigating ships with 30 other children. Majiro loves America, but he thinks it is odd and exciting with all the new traditions. A few years later of being in America Mijiro and 3 other of his friends take the risk of going back to Japan. They buy a whale boat and set sail to Japan. Once they get there they don't get a friendly greeting. There are multiple Japanese who arrest Majuro and his friends. They were in jail for 7 months until they got news from the empire to meet them. The empire ended up loving them and finding them guiltless of crime. Once they got back the Japanese did not care about the emperors note that they were guiltless. The Japanese threw Mjiro and his friends back in to jail for several weeks until they were freed. Then 2 of Majiros friends found their birthplace/home in a pile of rubble. Somebody also told them their parents had died. The 2 boys were devastated, but thankfully their aunt was willing to take them in to her home. Then Majiro set off to find his family with a scared heart thinking maybe his family was also gone. He traveled a couple days until he got to his home. Thankfully he found his entire family safe and happy. Sadly he could only be with his family for 3 days and then he would have to leave. It was one of Japan's rules. After he visited his family, for the rest of his life Manjiro helped shape America and Japan to make peace with one another. Manjiro sadly died at the age of 71. Everyone loved Majiro the brave Japanese boy.Hope you enjoy the book-Hannah Rich (12 year's old)

Little Manjiro was working as a fisherman in early 19th century Japan when he and the four men he worked with were caught in a storm and marooned on a deserted island outside of Japan's realm. At the time, Japan was a closed country. No foreigners were allowed in and no Japanese citizens were allowed out. If you left and tried to return, the punishment was death. After many months on the small island, Manjiro and his crewmates were rescued by an American whaling vessel. Manjiro quickly picked up English and became a member of the American vessel, Captain Whitfield taking him under his wing. When the ship landed in Hawaii, Manjiro's fellow Japanese crewmen were left there, but he decided to sail on with Captain Whitfield. Adopting the more easily pronounced name John Mung, Manjiro spent a few years in school under Whitfield's care after sailing to Massachusetts. Eventually, after education and further experience as a sailor and gold miner, Manjiro decided to risk returning to Japan to see how his family faired. After much deliberation on the parts of Japanese officials but thanks in part to his insights on outside cultures, especially American, Manjiro was eventually allowed to return home to visit his mother. It turned out that Manjiro returned home just in time to serve as an adviser to the emperor when Commadore Perry sailed into port and demanded that trade lines be opened. A portion of Perry's success and Japan's opening of doors are thanks to Manjiro's persuasion. Manjiro went on to be a highly respected educator in several arenas.There are several fictional books based on Manjiro's story, such as HEART OF A SAMURAI by Preus. This is one of the few biographies of this amazing man for young adults and middle grades. Blumberg does a great job of presenting the story in a riveting way, but it is also incredibly obvious she's done a huge amount of research. I appreciated especially all the illustrations included that were done by Manjiro himself or done by someone he dictated to. There's also a very interesting look at Japan during a very pivotal period, that again feels very deeply researched, and of course, a good dose of history of whaling and sailing of the time period. A great book if you're looking for a multicultural biography and/or book for classes studying 19th century world history.Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. The details on whaling are kept to a minimum. It is mentioned that one of Manjiro's fellow fishermen is injured when they are marooned, but no details are given. No other violence.

I purchased this used and it was well worthwhile. Unfortunately, I bought it for my 8 year old son, he didn't like it so much but my 10 year old daughter did. Maybe the boy will come around. It's one of our school's 3rd grade reading selections this year; while a different author's extended version is in use in their 6th grade class."Shipwrecked" is a true tale of young Manjiro shipwrecked on a remote isle with 4 Japanese fishermen after a storm. Several but not all of the survivors are picked up by a whaling vessel and taken to America. Manjiro takes a difficult tragic experience and becomes a fascinating young man showing resilience and a desire to learn--great lessons. As he ages, he becomes important in international relations between Japan and the USA. If you can wrap this read in a lesson about perseverance and adaptability you'll find it even more appealing. If you are squeamish about whaling, oh well--you can work in why we don't do that anymore.Told elsewhere in greater or lesser detail, this book is fine reading to your children at bedtime, especially if of mixed parentage (there's a little Japanese and American in all of us). Will take a few nights. For your 8-11 year old its an hour or two read. About right for the 8-12 year olds.One thing that makes the book shine is the inclusion of many of Manjiro's ink drawings. My older child readily appreciated his talent. Nicely done.

大変簡潔に事実と思われることに忠実に、感情を抑えて書かれている。　マンジローに関し、日本語の本も読んでいなかったので、彼の人生の真実を初めて知り、日本人として大変他らしく思った。　著者の人種を超えた人間愛的記述に感銘した。

Excellent story