Tale of Jo Takasuka, a pioneer in rice cultivation in Australia – Author Mina Matsudaira

Mina and her book on Jo Takasuka, a Japanese immigrant and a pioneer in rice cropping in Australia Source: Mina Matsudaira

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Mina Matsudaira, a NSW-based Japanese author, has published a book about Jo Takasuka, a Japanese immigrant who came to Australia in 1805 and succeeded in rice cultivation in Australia for the first time.

Mina has been a serious book-worm since childhood. When she was asked to write a book on Mr. Takasuka, she hesitated at first because writing about a real person, especially about a great man and his family who accomplished so much, is something different from what she has written about before. But after spending 10 months of research and travel, Mina decided to give it a try.

“As a Japanese living in Australia, what I can do to contribute is to write. I’d like to bring Japan and Australia closer by writing about people who have done so much for Japan and Australia”, Mina said.