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Forever Foreign

The National Library of Australia’s latest publication Forever Foreign: Expatriate Lives in Historical Kobe documents the untold stories of Westerners living in Kobe Japan and leading up to World War II and its aftermath. Written by Keiko Tamura, a 2002 Harold White Fellow at the National Library of Australia, Forever Foreign contains captivating real life stories and thought provoking images.

The stylishly designed book exposes the lives of four individuals who engaged with Japan and its culture in different ways. We hear the stories of Ernest W. James, Harry John Griffiths, Mary Kawatani Kirby and Harold S. Williams who, despite their diverse backgrounds, shared a keen search for new experiences and a sense of adventure.

The individuals live life in a foreign country surrounded by a culture contrasting to their own. Their identities separate them from the world they are in and these identities are tested by the war.

NOTE: All images are in high resolution JPEG format approximately A4 @ 300dpi

Keiko Tamura (b.1955-)
Ernest W. James’ diplomatic uniform.

Download (1.66 Mb zip)

Harry J. Griffiths in 1932, aged 50, formally attired in kimono and hakama, and holding a fan.
National Library of Australia Manuscript Collections
MS6681/1/51

Download (1.98 Mb zip)

Postcard of the Nikko Maru, the ship that took Harold S. Williams from Australia to Japan in 1919.
National Library of Australia Manuscript collection
MS6681/5/57

Download (7.58 Mb zip)

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