Zipangu

Her findings spurred her to postulate that "Zipangu" actually referred to the Philippines and its far-flung archipelago

Archive 2007-09-01 2007

For centuries, the mystical island of "Zipangu" that Marco Polo described in his travels of the Silk Road in the 13th century was widely assumed to refer to Japan.

Zipangu and Japan 2007

"Zipangu" apparently appears in documents for the first time in the early 17th century.

Archive 2007-09-01 2007

"Zipangu" apparently appears in documents for the first time in the early 17th century.

Zipangu and Japan 2007

Her findings spurred her to postulate that "Zipangu" actually referred to the Philippines and its far-flung archipelago

Zipangu and Japan 2007

But there is no mention of "Zipangu" in the earlier versions, according to Matoba

Archive 2007-09-01 2007

For centuries, the mystical island of "Zipangu" that Marco Polo described in his travels of the Silk Road in the 13th century was widely assumed to refer to Japan.

Archive 2007-09-01 2007

But there is no mention of "Zipangu" in the earlier versions, according to Matoba

Zipangu and Japan 2007

"Zipangu," says Marco, "is an island situated at a distance from the mainland.

A Book of Discovery The History of the World's Exploration, From the Earliest Times to the Finding of the South Pole

He was sure that he was in Asia, and thus decided that Cuba must be the island of Zipangu (Japan) - so he sailed thither in search of someone important to whom he could deliver the letter from Their Most Catholic Majesties.

Michael Kaplan: Columbus: Blundering into Immortality 2009