TADA, Keiichi. Nankyoku Tanken-tai Kokai Nisshi ...

Small 4to (260 x 191 mm). 2 full-page illustrations and numerous illustrations after photographs in the text. Original pictorial wrappers printed in red, black and sepia, with staple binding and stab stitching (light soiling to front cover, old staple residue at joints).

FIRST EDITION OF THE RARE ARTICLE PUBLISHED REGARDING THE EXPEDITION BY A CREW MEMBER WITHOUT SHIRASE’S KNOWLEDGE. Keiichi Tada served in the prominent position of expedition secretary of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition. He was at first considered Shirase’s right-hand man, but friction between the two ultimately estranged them. Their falling out may have resulted in part from Tada having authored this publication, as well as accounts of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition (Ross 1.2 and 1.3) before publication of Shirase’s own narrative (Ross 1.4) or the official account (Ross 1.5). When the expedition laid over in Sydney awaiting ripe circumstances to depart for the second season in the far south, Tada and Captain Nomura returned to Tokyo to raise additional funds. While in Tokyo, they worked closely with Shigenobu Okuma who presided over the Japanese Antarctic Support Committee. This article relates the history of the expedition to date and was published without Shirase’s knowledge. It is probable that personal dynamics between Shirase and Tada shifted for the worse when Shirase became aware of Tada’s article. Shirase demoted Tada from secretary to assistant naturalist during the second season. Ross 3.9 (“Very rare”).