Unbeaten Tracks in Japan

Suffering from an unspecified illness, Isabella Bird left her English home in 1878 journeying to Japan to "improve her health." Her unorthodox cure consisted of buying a local horse and exploring the islands of the reclusive Japanese homeland. The Long Rider author carefully documented various aspects of the fascinating culture she discovered, describing a host of subjects ranging from "Children's Games" to "A Narrow Escape." "I lived among the Japanese, and saw their mode of living, in regions unaffected by European contact. As a lady travelling alone, and the first European lady who had been seen in several districts through which my route lay, my experiences differed more or less widely from those of preceding travellers," she wrote. Though her quest for equestrian adventure was to turn her into a compulsive traveller, Isabella's famous lone trek through the interior of Japan remains a classic and is presented now in its original two volume set, complete with delightful drawings.Bird, Isabella is the author of 'Unbeaten Tracks in Japan', published 2006 under ISBN 9781425033873 and ISBN 1425033873.