An Edo Anthology: Literature from Japan’s Mega-City, 1750-1850

Contents

Preface ix Introduction: The Production and Consumption of Literature in a Flourishing Metropolis 1 Notes for the Reader 39 I. Playboys, Prostitutes, and Lovers 43 45 YAMAOKA MATSUAKE, Seki the Night Hawk, 1753 (robert campbell, trans.) 60 HIRAGA GENNAI, “A Lousy Journey of Love: Two Sweethearts Won’t Back Down,” 1783 (timon screech, trans.) 65 UMEBORI KOKUGA, At a Fork on the Road to Hiring a Hooker, 1798 (sara langer, trans.) 76 TAMENAGA SHUNSUI, Intimations of Spring: The Plum Calendar, 1832–1833. Illustrated by Yanagawa Shigenobu and Yanagawa Jūsan (Shigenobu II). (valerie l. durham, trans.) II. Ghosts, Monsters, and Deities 101 103 BABA BUNKŌ, One Hundred Monsters in Edo of Our Time, 1758 (william j. farge, trans.) 113 HIRAGA GENNAI, Rootless Grass, 1763, 1769 (david sitkin, trans.) 124 SHIBA ZENKŌ, Thousand Arms of Goddess, Julienned: The Secret Recipe of Our Handmade Soup Stock, 1785. Illustrated by Kitao Masanobu (Santō Kyōden). (adam l. kern, trans.) 137 JIPPENSHA IKKU, The Monster Takes a Bride, 1807. Illustrated by Katsukawa Shun’ei. (adam kabat, trans.) 168 TSURUYA NANBOKU IV, Epic Yotsuya Ghost Tale, 1825 (faith bach, trans.) Contents III. Heroes, Rogues, and Fools 183 185 SANTŌ KYŌDEN, Playboy, Grilled Edo Style, 1785. Illustrated by Kitao Masanobu. (sumie jones, trans.) 219 TSURUYA NANBOKU IV AND SAKURADA JISUKE II, Osome and Hisamatsu: Their Amorous History—Read All About It!, 1813 (caryn callahan, trans.) 247 KYOKUTEI BAKIN, opening section from The Tale of the Eight Dog Warriors of the Satomi Clan, 1814–1842. Illustrated chiefly by Yanagawa Shigenobu and Keisai Eisen. (ellen widmer, trans.) 260 KYOKUTEI BAKIN, Funamushi episodes from The Tale of the Eight Dog Warriors of the Satomi Clan, 1814–1842. Illustrated chiefly by Yanagawa Shigenobu and Keisai Eisen. (valerie l. durham, trans.) 282 RYŪTEI RIJŌ, Eight Footloose Fools: A Flower Almanac, written in 1820, published in 1849. Illustrated chiefly by Keisai Eisen, Utagawa Kuninao, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi. (dylan mcgee and christopher robins, trans.) 301 KAWATAKE MOKUAMI, Benten the Thief, 1862 (alan cummings, trans.) IV. City and Country Folks 323 325 KARAI SENRYŪ ET AL., EDS., Mr. Senryū’s Barrel of Laughs, Edo Haikai Style, 1765–1838 (jason webb, trans.) 341 DŌMYAKU SENSEI, “The Housemaid’s Ballad” and Other Poems, 1769 (andrew markus, trans.) 349 SHIKITEI SANBA, In the World of Men, Nothing But Lies, 1812. Illustrated by Utagawa Kuninao. (joel cohn, trans.) 364 SHIKITEI SANBA, The Floating World Barbershop, 1813–1814. Illustrated by Utagawa Kuninao. (charles vilnis, trans.) 377 TADANO MAKUZU, Tales from the North, 1818 (bettina gramlich-oka, trans.) V. Artists and Poets 389 391 HIRAGA GENNAI, On Farting, c. 1774, c. 1777 (william f. sibley, trans.) 400 YOSA BUSON AND TAKAI KITŌ, The “Peony Petals” Sequence, 1780 (chris drake, trans.) 413 Peasants, Peddlers, and Paramours: Waka Selections (roger k. thomas, trans.) 430 Icicle Teardrops and Butterfly Wings: Popular Love Songs (john solt, trans.) VI. Tourists and Onlookers 441 443 Comparisons of Cities—(1) ANONYMOUS, “What They Think Good about Kyō and Edo,” c. 1820, (2) SHIBA KŌKAN, “On Good and Bad Things about Kyō and Edo” (A Letter to Yamaryō Kazuma), 1813, and (3) KIMURO BŌUN, Tales of the Kyō I Have Seen, 1780 (timon screech, trans.) 465 ICHIKAWA KANSAI, Songs of the Northern Quarter, 1786 (mark borer, trans.) 477 Outlandish Nonsense: Verses on Western Themes (timon screech, trans.) 480 TERAKADO SEIKEN, An Account of the Prosperity of Edo, 1832: “Urban Chivalry” and “Honjo District” (andrew markus, trans.) Source Texts and Modern Editions 493 List of Contributors 499 Permissions 505 Index of Names 507 Subject Index 509 Color plates follow p. 308 ...