Take a break from politics Twitter for a sec and check out this thread from author and historian Nick Kapur on how Japan described the American Revolution in one of its history books from 1861:
These images, and the entire rest of the book, are available online courtesy of the Waseda University Library… 16/https://t.co/OF1gSsavko
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
It starts out with George Washington as an archer, which is but a small peek into what lies ahead:
A thread of images from a Japanese illustrated history of America from 1861.
Here is George Washington (with bow and arrow) pictured alongside the Goddess of America. 1/ pic.twitter.com/LoF54y54bL
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
And we have a slight detour to fill in the backstory of America:
Here is Christopher Columbus (seated at center) reporting his discovery of America to Queen Isabella of Spain.
So far, kinda normal, but wait for it…. 2/ pic.twitter.com/j0NzhnxBaA
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
But the actions starts right up:
Now it's the American Revolution. Here is George Washington defending his wife "Carol" from a British official named "Asura" (same characters as the Buddhist deity). 3/ pic.twitter.com/JXD6Cj0xOE
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
Here’s John Adams battling a snake:
And here is Washington's "second-in-command" John Adams battling an enormous snake. 4/ pic.twitter.com/ksEq9OW7g7
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
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Benjamin Franklin, badass warrior:
Here is Washington and his wife "Carol" meeting an extremely youthful Benjamin Franklin, who has an impressive squat. 5/ pic.twitter.com/hBAx12rBRF
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
Franklin is also strong enough to wield a cannon under the direction of snake-slayer Adams:
Here's the incredibly jacked Benjamin Franklin firing a cannon that he holds in his bare hands, while John Adams directs him where to fire. 6/ pic.twitter.com/uiYFGFvTtQ
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
Even a tiger is no match for George Washington:
And here is George Washington straight-up punching a tiger. 7/ pic.twitter.com/gM1BwRahEa
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
Plot twist? Ben Franklin attacks John Adams for some reason:
Best buds John Adams and Ben Franklin must have had a falling out, because John Adams fires an arrow at Ben and then rides away like a cowardly little bitch. Of course Ben Franklin is a total badass, so he just stands there and lets the arrow fly by without even flinching. 8/ pic.twitter.com/w79i2Zy3De
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
The action takes a small break while Adams has a picnic with his mom…
During a calmer moment, John Adams is just chillin' in the countryside, having a quiet picnic with his elderly mother… 9/ pic.twitter.com/r4Yh5sfFZa
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
…that is until the freaking snake returns to EAT HIS MOM:
But then! While John Adams is too obsessed with the food and drink, a huge snake comes along and *eats* his mom!
Maybe the snake was a child of that other snake John Adams killed, or maybe it was sent by Ben Franklin as part of their feud? 10/ pic.twitter.com/8xJvnktbQL
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
General Washington in action:
Here is Washington leading his army from behind in a carriage. The American flag has no stars, only stripes, and the author seems very impressed that the carriage has not one but TWO horses. 11/ pic.twitter.com/25rCDZ2QLT
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
But we’re not done with John Adams, who asks this fairy for help getting revenge on the snake:
Meanwhile, John Adams wants to get revenge on the snake that ate his Mom, so he goes to ask a magical mountain fairy for help! 12/ pic.twitter.com/UaxxN5BJPI
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
And the fairy sends Adams this eagle to help kill the snake:
The mountain fairy does Adams a solid, and summons a gigantic eagle! 13/ pic.twitter.com/Yqg4M3TlL8
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
Teamwork:
Together, John Adams and the eagle kill the enormous snake that ate his Mom. The power of teamwork!!! 14/ pic.twitter.com/Nf2tndEZvu
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
More on this fantastic version of American history here:
This 1861 book was by author Kanagaki Robun (仮名垣魯文) and artist Utagawa Yoshitora (歌川芳虎).
The title is "Osanaetoki Bankokubanashi" (童絵解万国噺) and it was based on 2 other second-hand sources, "Kaikoku Zushi" (海国図志) and "Amerika Ittōshi" (亜墨利加一統志). 15/ pic.twitter.com/0jFLyCshF3
— Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) November 14, 2018
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