It tells the story of six foreign tourists who travel in Japan and stay at an inn.

It was first published as Le Vent des Pins, which is the name of the inn in the story, but changed title when it was republished in 1970.

The novel was first published in 1958 by éditions Julliard with the title Le Vent des Pins.

In the United Kingdom it was published by Hamish Hamilton as Welcome, Honourable Visitors and in the United States by G. P. Putnam's Sons as Welcome Honorable Visitors.

[4] John Coleman reviewed the book in The Spectator: "M. Raspail is quite astute, works his expected ironies neatly enough, and would probably have made more money publishing the local colour bits as articles in Life.