Publisher's Synopsis
This book features complete annotated translations of Narushima Ryuhoku's two most widely read and influential texts, both of which showcase the innovative and experimental use of Chinese-language discourse taking place in Japan during the nineteenth century. Focused on one of the capital city's celebrated geisha districts, the satirical 'New Chronicles of Yanagibashi' serves as both a documentary record of changing customs during the tumultuous 1850s-70s and an amusingly nuanced social critique. Banned multiple times, the work nevertheless became a favourite of the Meiji reading public. This text is paired with 'Diary of a Journey to the West', Ryuhoku's travelogue from his world tour of 1872-1873.
