The 6th chapter looks at Alan Owston, a naturalist and ornithologist who lived in Yokohama. Owston discovered and co-discovered a number of new species and he helped building up important collections to Japan’s natural history. He is also a keen Yachtsman. The chapter also discusses his life in general.

Bonsai is the English approximation of two characters read in Japanese as ‘bon’ (tray) and ‘sai’ (plant). This chapter traces the history of the famous art of Bonsai and illustrates its developments in Europe and the UK. 

This essay considers the remarkable scholarly career of the brilliant but eccentric polymath Minakata Kumagusu (1867-1941), an expert in natural history, folklore and classicism, as well as an assessment of the significance of his time in London to his work.

Thomas Wright Blakiston (1832-91), explorer, engineer and ornithologist, is best known for his discovery of 'Blackiston's Line' a zoogeographical boundary along the Tsugaru Strait.