Produced
as a supplement of "Nihon Shonen" (Japanese Boys), concept
by Nihon Shonen editorial bureau, picture by Akashi Sekishi,
published by Jitsugyo-no-Nippon-sha / size (cm) 54v x 74w
A competitive sugoroku which has 4 start
points namely Tokyo, Berlin, London and New York, targeting
the only goal South Pole. There are 4 different routes to
move forward indicated with different colors. It may even
be the first idea of multiple start points.
World famous places and things are drawn in each block like
Chinese Wall, Matterhorn of Alps, Vesios Volcano, Lake Titicaca,
Gibraltar Fortress, crocodile of Nile River. Because of
the nature of airplane sugoroku, there are a few unique
rules such like to move forward 3 blocks by "fair wind",
to backward 2 blocks by "crash", to backward 1 block by
"repair" and to backward 3 blocks by whirlwind/storm.
By the way, it was January of Meiji 45th (1912), the next
year of the publication of this sugoroku, when Lieutenant
Shirase arrived at the point of latitude 80th degree S.
while aiming South Pole. It was 3 teams aiming South Pole
at that time, namely Amundssen's from Norway, Scott's from
England and Shirase's from Japan. It was December 1911,
one month before Shirase gave up his way to further southward,
when Amundsen arrived at South Pole for the first time.
The team Shirase with 27 persons departed from Shibaura,
Tokyo on November 29th of Meiji 43rd, when the sugoroku
may have been printed. It was the time when the whole world
was in the enthusiasm on this arrival race to South Pole.
* (ref.) H.P. of Museum of Shirase's Exploration
to South Pole http://www.chokai.ne.jp/copia/shirase/index.html
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