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[SHIRASE, Nobu (1861-1946), association]. Pair of Signed Modern First Editions of Reference Books, including: ROSS, Chet. The Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1912 – A Bibliography. Santa Monica, CA: Adélie Books, 2010. 8vo. (1), [xxviii], 122, (2) pp. Illustrated end leaves front and back, frontispiece rendering of the "Kainan Maru" with textured tissue guard. Over 160 high-resolution images in color and black-and-white including 9 maps in text and 2 fold-out entries. Quarter navy-blue leather with silver ruling and dark blue linen covered boards, front cover with debossed image of the Southern Cross constellation in silver foil, spine titles lettered in silver, back cover with Japanese kanji characters (translation: Nobu Shirase) debossed in silver. In original box. THIS SIGNED FIRST EDITION IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 290 NUMBERED COPIES FOR SALE. Encompassing over five years of research, this is the first bibliography of works by and about Lt. Nobu Shirase and the Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1912, and it contains over 50 publication entries from different countries to include Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Scotland and the United States. This is also the first book written in English about Nobu Shirase and the JAE in the 100 years since the expedition departed from Tokyo Bay enroute to Antarctica. And: [Shirase Antarctic Expedition Supporters Association, editors. The Japanese South Polar Expedition 1910-12. Translated by Lara Dagnall & Hilary Shibata. Norwich, UK: Bluntisham Books / Erskine Press, 2011. 8vo. (1), 414, (2) pp. 8 full-page colour plates including two full-page maps, numerous black- and-white photographic and drawing illustrations. 10 Scientific Appendices, Postscript, Dramatis personae. Publisher's red cloth-textured boards, bright gilt lettering and decorations on cover and spine. Fine. FIRST EDITION, THUS, SIGNED BY THE TRANSLATORS ON THE TITLE-PAGE. Ross 1.5.4A. Nankyoku-ki (Ross 1.5.1) was first published in Japanese in 1913. Nankyoku- ki is the account of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition based on official journals and records of the expedition and assembled by the Shirase Antarctic Expedition Supporters Association. This is the first English translation of that account. Many of the black-and-white photos used were not previously published in either Japanese or foreign publications. Tireless efforts on the part of the translators has produced the first detailed account in English of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition. The long overlooked (outside of Japan) JAE traveled into Antarctic waters twice and made land fall in 1911. Their original mission was the conquest of the South Pole, and they were on the continent at the same time Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott whose expeditions were seeking the same goal. The JAE mission soon turned into one of scientific investigation and achievement with a farthest south of 80º5' reached on 28 January 1912. From the personal collection of Shirase's bibliographer, Chet Ross.