A continuation of the official records by foreign delegations etc. in the first compilation, this series of "history in the raw" paints a vivid picture of Japan from the closing years of the shogunate through the Meiji Restoration period, via diaries, travelogues, and other personal accounts. Twelve foreigners who each left their unique stamp on the turbulent period from the opening of Japan to the early Meiji years provide a reliable document of the times.