A historical character who casted a light in darkness with a spirit of adventure

Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist who explored the far north, became the first High Commissioner for Refugees under the League of Nations. He saved the lives of more than 420 thousand former prisoners of war in the chaotic situation following the First World War. He was at the center of efforts to issue the “Nansen Passport” for refugees and stateless persons. He struggled to improve relations between the USSR and other countries, and helped Ukrainians who suffered from famine. He became a light for these people left in darkness, and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.

This is the first original biography of Fridtjof Nansen, a man who continually paved the way for exploration and peace, written in the Japanese language. It carries Nansen’s message into the 21st century as humanity is still drifting in the hardship of war, refugees and food crisis.

The Table of Contents

Foreword

Chapter 1 Departure
Chapter 2 Crossing Greenland
Chapter 3 Fram ! Towards Far North
Chapter 4 As a Scholar
Chapter 5 As a Diplomat
Chapter 6 Repatriation of Prisoners of War
Chapter 7 Famine in Russia
Chapter 8 Refugee Assistance
Chapter 9 Population Exchange
Chapter 10 Fram ! Towards Peace
Chapter 11 Departure to Eternity

Afterword
Chronological Tables and Charts
List of References

About the Author

Osamu Arakaki is a professor at International Christian University (ICU), Japan, and an expert of international law. He received a PhD in Law from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Before he began serving at ICU, he was a visiting fellow at Harvard Law School, USA, visiting associate professor at the University of Tokyo, Japan, and professor at Hiroshima City University, Japan. His main works include Infectious Diseases Drifting Through Time: Genealogy of International Law and Global Issues (Keio University Press, 2021), Refugee Law and Practice in Japan (Ashgate, 2008), “Non-state actors and UNHCR’s supervisory role in international relations,” in James C Simeon (ed.), The UNHCR and the Supervision of International Refugee Law (Cambridge University Press, 2013) and Statelessness Conventions and Japanese Laws: Convergence and Divergence (UNHCR Representation in Japan, 2015).

[Japanese］