This writing was about the implications of ginseng, both geographically and economically. Author Kuriyama talks about the popularity of ginseng in East Asia due to its enriching effects on the body. He talks about how ginseng only grew in certain climates around the world and could only be found in a select few places. This would cause countries like Japan do spend major amounts of money in imports of ginseng as well as research how to grow ginseng in their territory. He also talks about how East Asians saw the root as a tool and medicine whereas it never caught on in countries like the United States because they saw the product as a commodity in which they could sell and make a profit off of. Finally he talks about the current standing of ginseng and how it has morphed into what it has become today.
Take Aways: Economy/Money has immense amounts of power, one resource caused a great deal of action around the world, whether if it was through exporting, importing or trying to find sources of their own. // Ginseng had immense effects on the the actions of many countries. It caused a lot of research and development as well as new products to develop (ie Kombu).