March 22, 2003, 3:00-5:00 p.m., at Tokyo-Azabudai Seminar House, Burritt Sabin, editor of The East magazine, spoke about his experiences researching and writing A Historical Guide to Yokohama: Sketches of the Twice-Risen Phoenix (Yurindo, 2002). A former sailor, Sabin gravitated to the port town of Yokohama over twenty-eight years ago. Based on more than two decades of experience as a journalist working in Japan, he described how he combined historical research with personal observations and knowledge, got around the pitfalls of kanji, and learned to conduct spontaneous interviews and enliven
history with wit and sensitivity. He also described the process by which the book was actually published.

For the report on this talk see #102 of the SWET Newsletter.