The book was published in February 1999. In the following October I had the pleasure of speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Yurakucho, Tokyo. I rather enjoyed the event, introducing Sakamoto Ryoma to a bunch of foreign journalists stationed in Tokyo. I had just come from Kochi, where I had the honor of speaking at the 11th annual national gathering of “Ryoma fans” (全国龍馬ファンの集い高知大会).