All of a sudden, five Japanese fishermen are surrounded by a pool of mackerel and don't notice the storm that is brewing up around them. As luck would have it the fishermen become stranded in the ocean until they finally land on an remote island. At first, there are plenty of birds to eat and rain to collect. But as the seasons change, their situation becomes bleak. Then one day, Manjiro spots a ship and flags it down, only to faint at the sight of who is aboard - barbarians! They turn out to be kind-hearted Americans that take in all of the marooned survivors. Manjiro quickly learns English and Captain Whitfield takes a liking to the young teen. As time goes on, Manjiro is faced with a difficult decision when the Captain gives him the option to either go back to Japan with his friends or stay onboard to mainland America and become his ward. Based on a true account of Manjiro and his journey, the pages are filled with wonderful quotes from the "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", pictures drawn by Manjiro along with photos of the real-life Manjiro and Captain Whitefield. The end of the book also offers the history of real-life Manjiro and how he helped bridge the gap between Japan and the US, eventually ending 250 years of Japanese isolationism.