Other editions of book The Samurai And The Long-Nosed Devils

This young adult mystery novel is set in feudal Japan where a fascinating plot unfolds along with a wealth of information about classical Japanese history and culture.Zenta and Matsuzo are wandering ronin (masterless samurai) with a skill and code of honor unlike the ordinary citizens of Japan. Together the stoic Zenta and carefree Matsuzo fall in and out of extraordinary adventures solving mysteries that leave others baffled.Zenta loves a challenge, which is why he and Matsuzo volunteered to be bodyguards for Pedro and Father Luis two Portuguese missionaries with powerful enemies. Not only are Pedro and Father Luis feared by many of the Japanese in the area because of their unusually pale faces, long noses, and firearms but they're also in the middle of a tense political battle between the shogun and Nobunaga, the most powerful warlord in sixteenth century Japan.When Pedro becomes the main suspect in the murder of Lord Fujikawa, one of the shogun's supporters, Zenta and Matsuzo must learn to work with the strange foreigner to prove his innocence while also trying to appease Nobunaga and Fujikawa's men. Who really murdered Lord Fujikawa? Zenta and Matsuzo's investigations lead them to surprising conclusions.

Civil wars ravaged Japan in the 16th century . Thousands of samurai were left jobless when their feudal lords were overthrown. These masterless samurai, or ronin, wandered the country looking for work and adventure.The Samurai and the Long-Nosed Devils follows two ronin who find themselves employed as bodyguards for two Portuguese missionaries who are hated and feared by many Japanese. This wry and witty mystery examines two cultural points of view as they clash head on.