The American Diary of a Japanese Girl

<p><I>The American Diary of a Japanese Girl</I> (1901) is a novel by Yone Noguchi. Published in New York alongside illustrations by Genjiro Yeto the novel was styled as a fascinating tell-all written by a young Japanese tourist. Composed with the assistance of Léonie Gilmour and Blanche Partington <I>The American Diary of a Japanese Girl</I> was Noguchi's first novel and a major departure from his poetry at the time. An 18-year-old Japanese woman going by the name Miss Morning Glory embarks on a journey from her native country to the United States. Accompanied by her uncle a wealthy industrialist Morning Glory arrives in San Francisco via steamship. She soon befriends the American wife of a Japanese diplomat who introduces her to minstrel shows and vaudeville. Left to her own devices Morning Glory takes over a local cigar shop in Chinatown and begins to assimilate into American life and culture. When she meets Heine an older poet from Oakland Morning Glory is inspired to pursue a career as a writer. As she travels across the expansive American landscape with her uncle she comments on the people and places she encounters along the way. Through her eyes we see the country in a strange new light perhaps more truth than fiction. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript this edition of Yone Noguchi's <I>The American Diary of a Japanese Girl</I> is a classic of Japanese American literature reimagined for modern readers.</p>