Description
Book SynopsisIn 1816, an anonymous samurai produced a scathing critique of Edo society. Writing as Buyō Inshi, he expressed a profound despair with the state of the realm. Although he saw decay wherever he turned, Buyō also provided a vivid, wide-ranging picture of Edo life. This abridged edition streamlines the original translation for classroom use.
Trade ReviewThis is not the familiar Edo-period Japan you've studied in class. It is instead a cynical, critical, no-holds-barred account of all that an observant samurai found wrong with his society. Corruption, degeneration, destitution, monks on the make: it is a world in decline that he depicts, and the superb introduction puts it all in context. Things may not have been quite as he says, but this is firsthand testimony from somebody who was there and it lays barethe mentalities of the age. -- Peter Kornicki, University of Cambridge What better way to explore the riches of Japanese society before its "opening" to the West than through this masterful translation of one of the most colorful social commentaries of the time? Student and scholar alike will treasure this volume. -- Daniel Botsman, Yale University
Table of ContentsPreface Measures Currencies Maps Part 1: Buyo Inshi and His Times Part 2: Matters of the World: An Account of What I Have Seen and Heard, by Buyo Inshi Prologue 1. Introduction. Warriors 2. Farmers 3. Temple and Shrine Priests 4. The Blind. Lawsuits 5. Townspeople. Lower Townspeople 6. Pleasure Districts and Prostitutes. Kabuki 7. Pariahs and Outcasts. On Japan Being Called a Divine Land. The Land, People, and Ruler Editions and References Contributors Index
