Inoue Yasushi (1907-1991) received numerous awards for his writing, including the prestigious Akutagawa Prize and the Japan Art Academy Award, and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature. His novels include such popular works as The Roof Tile of Tempyo, Lou-Lan, Wind and Waves, and Journey Beyond Samarkand.Joshua Fogel is Canada Research Chair and professor of history at York University in Toronto. He specializes in the history of Sino-Japanese relations and has taught at Harvard University and the University of California, Santa Barbara.