This is the first English translation of the life story of Frank Yasuda, a Japanese fisherman who drifted ashore near Nome, Alaska at the end of the last century, built the settlement of Beaver, and was eventually responsible for establishing the close friendship between Alaska and Japan. Jiro Nitta, one of the most renowned contemporary writers in Japan, wrote the book based on Yasuda's life, entitled Alaska Monogatari (An Alaskan Story). It became a bestseller in Japan and sold over 780,000 copies. While Alaska Monogatari should be considered fiction spun around Frank Yasuda's life, not a true biography, it is, nevertheless, a moving story of one man's dedication to the natives of Alaska and a tribute to the great respect with which he was held by all Alaskans who knew him.