A small fishing boat set sail off the coast of Shikoku, Japan, in January 1841. Great inequities were built into the social structure of the country at that time, and the five men in the boat were desperate to catch some fish, or else their families would go hungry. The oldest of the men was Toraemon. Denzo was the leader, and Jusuke was in charge of steering. Goemon was a novice fisherman, as was the youngest, Manjiro, who was only fourteen years old.
The older men were often impatient with Manjiro, who was curious and was always asking questions. Manjiro could not help but...
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