Japanese Agent in Tibet: My Ten Years of Travel in Disguise

by Hisao Kimura, Scott Berry

Fascinating and adventurous true story of a Japanese agent in disguise as a Mongolian pilgrim. After a year's detention, he continued to Tibet and India where he was recruited by British Intelligence to gather information on Chinese intentions in Eastern Tibet.

Genres: China, Japan, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Asia

232 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1990

Reviews

[Daniel Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

After learning of Hisao Kimura's journey from Peter Hopkirk's books, I decided to read this book to learn about one of the most fascinating and mysterious cities in the world – historic Lhasa.

As this book cost over $70 used, I dedicated the day to reading this book in one go at the Toronto Reference Library. Japanese Agent in Tibet tells the story of a Japanese teenager who volunteers to help Japanese interests in Mongolia, who then after learning Mongolian and adapting local buddhist practices, is sent as a Japanese spy to discover secret trade routes in Western China. Several years after Kimura leaves on his incredible journey through exotic lands posing as a Mongolian buddhist monk and completely out of contact with Japan and the outside world, he finds himself in Lhasa, Tibet to discover that Japan has completely surrendered and is left without a country and purpose.

This is an incredible story and one of the best books on national identity I've ever read.

[Ginn Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very unique biography of--as the title says--a Japanese Agent in Tibet. Unlike almost any war memoir I've ever read. The author perfectly captures the way that place can transform identity.