The American Diary of a Japanese Girl

This fictitious diary was marketed as the authentic diary of an 18-year-old female visitor to the United States named "Miss Morning Glory" (Asagao), it was in actuality the work of Yone Noguchi, who wrote it with the editorial assistance of Blanche Partington and Léonie Gilmour. January, 1902 Ever since my childhood, thy sovereign beauty has been all to me in benevolence and inspiration. How often I watched thy august presence in happy amazement when thou didst pass along our Tokio streets! What a sad sensation I had all through me when thou wert just out of sight! If thou only knewest, I prayed, that I was one of thy daughters! I set it in my mind, a long time ago, that anything I did should be offered to our mother. How I wish I could say my own mother! Mother art thou, heavenly lady! I am now going to publish my simple diary of my American journey. And I humbly dedicate it unto thee, our beloved Empress, craving that thou wilt condescend to acknowledge that one of thy daughters had some charming hours even in a foreign land. -Morning Glory (Yone Noguchi)