New in softcover. Hardcover was published in 2023. This book introduces English-speaking audiences to tsūji, who were interpreters in different contexts in Japan and then the Ryukyu Kingdom from the late 16th to the mid-19th century. It comprises seven historical case studies on tsūji in which contributors adopt a context-oriented approach. They aim to explore the function of these interpreters in communication with other cultures in different languages, including Japanese, Dutch, Chinese, Korean, Ryukyuan, English, Russian and Ainu.