Voices of New York
Samurais on Broadway: Recounting the First Japanese Mission to the U.S., 160 Years Later
Kaoru Ishiguro for Shukan NY Seikatsu |
In New York, the visiting samurais were so popular that there were theater performances and songs about them, samurai-inspired merchandise was being sold, and a cocktail named “Japanese” was born. Renowned American poet Walt Whitman even wrote a poem about the visit.