Presentation copy of this novel by the 20th century Japanese writer Yasushi Inoue (1907-1991), signed and inscribed by him to American photographer Carl Mydans (1907-2004), who is notable for his documentation of World War II in the South Pacific and Europe. In 1941, while on assignment for Life magazine in the Philippines, Mydans and his wife were captured by Japanese forces and spent two years in captivity. Following the war, he worked as the head of Time-Life's Tokyo bureau.
Rutland, Vermond: Charles E. Tuttle, 1967. Third printing. Octavo, 8-1/2 x 5 in. White cloth boards blind embossed on front panel; red spine lettering; in dust jacket. 74pp. Signed and inscribed in Japanese by Inoue on the front free end paper. With Mydan's ownership stamp on the opposite pastedown. Light bumping to top corners. Some rubbing/smearing to red spine lettering. Small tear to cloth in rear hinge where a sharp edge of what looks like internal adhesive has rubbed through. Price-clipped jacket with a detached but 2 x 1 in chip at top of front panel, re-attached via tape on interior. Slight loss at spine ends. Moderate edge and corner wear. Altogether near fine in a very good (-) jacket. An uncommon example of the Japanese writer's signature.
