First published in 2008. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This unique gem of a personal story of a Japanese soldier in the Russo-Japanese War of the Meiji Era in Japan which broke out in 1904 is of more than historical interest and fascination. The writer paints a moving picture of the lives and deaths, joys and sorrows of the men who took Port Arthur in the bloodiest battle of this short war. The tale is told vividly and simply and is a rare revelation of the innermost feelings of a Japanese soldier of remarkable intelligence, spirituality and powers of expression

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1907 Edition.

1907. Translated by Masujiro Honda and Edited by Alice Mabel Bacon. Contents: Mobilization; Our Departure; The Voyage; A Dangerous Landing; The Value of Port Arthur; The Battle of Nanshan; Nanshan After the Battle; Digging and Scouting; The First Captives; Our First Battle at Waitu-Shan; The Occupation of Kenzan; Counterattacks on Kenzan; On the Defensive; Life in Camp; Some Brave Men and their Memorial; The Battle of Taipo-Shan; The Occupation of Taipo-Shan; The Field after the Battle; The First Aid Station; Following Up the Victory; The Storming of Taku-Shan; Sun Flag on Taku-Shan; Promotion and Farewells; The Beginning of the General Assault; A Rain of Human Bullets; The Forlorn Hope; and Life Out of Death.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

1907. Translated by Masujiro Honda and Edited by Alice Mabel Bacon. Contents: Mobilization; Our Departure; The Voyage; A Dangerous Landing; The Value of Port Arthur; The Battle of Nanshan; Nanshan After the Battle; Digging and Scouting; The First Captives; Our First Battle at Waitu-Shan; The Occupation of Kenzan; Counterattacks on Kenzan; On the Defensive; Life in Camp; Some Brave Men and their Memorial; The Battle of Taipo-Shan; The Occupation of Taipo-Shan; The Field after the Battle; The First Aid Station; Following Up the Victory; The Storming of Taku-Shan; Sun Flag on Taku-Shan; Promotion and Farewells; The Beginning of the General Assault; A Rain of Human Bullets; The Forlorn Hope; and Life Out of Death.

1907. Translated by Masujiro Honda and Edited by Alice Mabel Bacon. Contents: Mobilization; Our Departure; The Voyage; A Dangerous Landing; The Value of Port Arthur; The Battle of Nanshan; Nanshan After the Battle; Digging and Scouting; The First Captives; Our First Battle at Waitu-Shan; The Occupation of Kenzan; Counterattacks on Kenzan; On the Defensive; Life in Camp; Some Brave Men and their Memorial; The Battle of Taipo-Shan; The Occupation of Taipo-Shan; The Field after the Battle; The First Aid Station; Following Up the Victory; The Storming of Taku-Shan; Sun Flag on Taku-Shan; Promotion and Farewells; The Beginning of the General Assault; A Rain of Human Bullets; The Forlorn Hope; and Life Out of Death.

The impact of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5 was incalculable. It was the first victory by an Asian power over a European one since the Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century. Japanese victory was ascribed to the "spirit" of the Japanese people, which helped their soldiers to overcome superior numbers and technology. A fascinating glimpse into prevailing nationalistic and militaristic attitudes in early-twentieth-century Japan, "Human Bullets" is also an engaging story of combat and an excellent source of insights about a relatively obscure but immensely influential conflict. Tadyoshi Sakurai was a junior officer in the Japanese campaign against Port Arthur, Russia's ice-free port in China. His account is an interesting introduction to the concept of "yamato-damashii," or "traditional Japanese spirit." This spirit was something greater than mere high morale. Japanese soldiers were the emperor's "human bullets." Like bullets, they were unconcerned with victory, comfort, or self-preservation, existing only to strike the enemy.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.