How did Japan emerge as a superpower on the world stage in less than 50 years after the onset of Meiji restoration ( 1870-1920)? It might even be said that the ancient Japanese culture of mathematics may be one of the reasons. Shadows of this history remain in other forms of Japanese art, such as video games and puzzles like sudoku. As the authors note, Japanese mathematics is “...like her art, exquisite rather than grand.”

Compasswallah has reprinted this non-technical volume first published in 1914 because it is of great interest to the general reader, apart from those particularly interested in Japanese civilisation or the history of science.

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