HISTORY

 Refugees and expatriated Greeks, victims of social-economic circumstances from Russia, inquisitive traders from the Balkans and Asia Minor, islanders from Greece, seamen and adventurers, members of large families, were the first Greeks who settled in countries of South East Asia, the Far East and the Pacific, according to Professor Tamis. Many of them had initially settled in major cities of Alexandria, Constantinople, Smyrna, St. Petersburg, Odessa and Plovdiv since 1725. The headstones in the cemetery of the Catholic Church of Our Lady in Murghihatta, a suburb in Calcutta, were many of them were buried, is evidence to this. During the second phase (1960 – 1985), known for its economic characteristics, over 7000 Greeks settled in Japanese ports and Tokyo, as a result of the manifold activities of Greek maritime initiative, from the romantic era of S. Livanos and A.S. Onassis, until the glorious days of P. Tsakos. It was a time when over 1000 cargo ships and tankers were manufactured on an annual basis in Japan, thousands of Greek ships reached the country’s ports with their Greek crew, while thousands of Greeks were employed in Japanese shipyards and maritime companies. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to mention that during that period, the Greek maritime sector had been, following the American contribution and presence, the second largest factor towards the recovery of the Post-War Japanese Economy, a fact which is not omitted in Japanese bibliography and certainly not disregarded by the state. During the difficult post war era, the Japanese economy was almost exclusively dependent on U.S. and Greek capital investments. The number of Greeks who settled in Japan was progressively reduced from 7.000 to 1985, to less than 600 at the moment, as a result of globalized economy.

I. The exodus to the Orient – Greek rediscover India, II. The Greeks in China – The Chinese Orthodox Church, III. Greek settlement in post-people’s revolution China – Hellenic studies and heritage in China, IV. Greeks discover Japan: The Hellenic enigma and the Japanese civilization – The early years – Greek refugees from Soviet Union to China and Japan – Japanese brides discover Greece – Greek brides discover Japan – Post-war Greek settlers in Japan, V. Social organization and integration – Japanese Greek Orthodox Church, VI. Economic consolidation – Japan: The 1899 “Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation” – The Greek shipping phenomenon – Greek trade and commercial activities – The Greek restaurants , VII. Cultural and international relations – Japan: The marvel of Patrikios Lefkadios Hearn, Entering the House of Fukuzawa – Greece of the rising sun – Greco-Japanese cultural organizations – Hellenic studies in Japan – Greco-Japanese diplomatic relations, VIII. The Greeks in Korea – Greek Expeditionary Force in Korea, IX. The Greeks in the Philippines.

First Edition. Signed by Author. 28 cm, 696 pp., numerous B/W pictures, 7 maps. #250224

Large, heavy book. AS NEW COPY.