In 219 BCE, Xu Fu, a Chinese explorer and alchemist, would set out in search of the elixir of life. Instead, legend says he discovered Japan.
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Xu Fu and the Exploration of Japan
The Chinese sorcerer is dispatched to find the elixir of life on the legendary island of Penglai – the home of the Immortals. Xu would go on to reach Japan – and perhaps set himself up as the island’s first emperor.
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