This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/18/2025
[SHIRASE, Nobu (1861-1946), association]. Nankyoku Tanken Hikouki Sugoroku [Antarctic Expedition Board Game] by unknown designer. Tokyo: Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha, Volume 6.1, January 1, 1911. Small 8vo. 128 pages, publisher's advertisement section. 3 full-page plates related to the Japanese Antarctic Expedition including one full-page plate showing Count Okuma and members of the Japanese Antarctic Support Committee, 1 plate featuring General Morsuki Nogi whose signed card is tipped into all copies of Nankyoku-ki, the official account of the JAE, and one full-page plate titled “Departure of the Antarctic Expedition" and containing four photographs related to Nobu Shirase and the day of departure for the Japanese Antarctic Expedition. Text in Japanese, Captions for the photographs state: (Top photo) The Lieutenant is about set sail with his party at twilight; (Bottom photo) The ship is rigged and waiting for the Lieutenant, young men see him off and exclaim "Banzai" enthusiastically; (center right: “Kainan-maru" is about to weigh anchor; (center left) speech by Count Okuma – Shirase's party at farewell ceremony at Shibaura, Tokyo on 28 November, and started on the life-or-death voyage from the homeland to the far south at 9:00 a.m. on 29 November (1910). Now housed in a custom green-silk fold-out box with paper labels on front and spine. Ross 3.23A. With The Very Rare complete supplement: Nankyoku Tanken Hikouki Sugoroku [Antarctic Expedition Board Game]. Captioned "Supplement to Nihon Shonen vol.6-1" and "cut out and use this sheet as a piece". Published on Jan-01 1911, text in Japanese, size: 30.7" x 21.4". Offset color lithograph, illustrations by Akashi Sekishi. Colors bright and un-faded. With its original game board markers which are typically missing. A rare Japanese "Sugoroku" board game, with the goal of completing a journey to Antarctica. The game board presents the players with four starting points for their respective expeditions including Tokyo, Berlin, London and New York. Each player must then pass through several colorfully imaged squares depicting world landmarks such as pyramids, the Great Wall, totem poles, etc. before reaching the inner 8 squares which depicting polar scenes. Antarctica is located at the center of the board. Boardgames were popular in Japan from the Edo-period onwards and in the first half of the 20th century. Themes varied and typically followed designs from politics, culture and sports. EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE THUS, VIRTUALLY UNIQUE. From the personal collection of Shirase's bibliographer, Chet Ross.