Ox Against the Storm

Focusing on environmental activism, this biography presents Tanaka Shozo as a pioneering conservationist in early 20th-century Japan. A self-taught son of a peasant, he rose to prominence by fiercely opposing pollution from a major copper mine that threatened his community's health and resources. The book explores his political journey, illustrating how the 1889 Japanese constitution influenced local governance. Tanaka's passionate, yet often dismissed, efforts resonate with modern environmental concerns, drawing parallels to renowned humanitarians like Gandhi.