Originally published in 1871, this book remains an important collection of Japanese traditions, artfully presented by British diplomat A.B. Mitford, 1837-1916. As Michael Dylan Foster explains in the foreword of the 2019 edition, Mitford served in Japan as the Second Secretary of the British Legation from 1866-1870, and his book “was not autobiographical but rather an earnest attempt to introduce Japan from an insider’s perspective.”
Since the fall of the Edo military era occurred in the summer of 1868, Mitford was able to witness first-hand the transfer of power to the new Meiji government, which restored imperial rule. It was a time when Japan began to open its borders to the world, and when the world was curious to learn details of life in Japan. Mitford fulfilled his diplomatic mission like an anthropologist/folklorist, and his writings show his deep respect for the culture.
The early chapters offer material in no particular order. Samurai-related tales are represented by chapters entitled “The Forty-Seven Ronins,” “Kazuma’s Revenge,” “A Story of the Otokodate of Edo,” and “The Adventures of Funakoshi Juemon.” These stories focus mostly on second-class samurais, greatly removed in character from the high-minded Samurai described in The Bushido Shoshinshu by Yuzan Daidoji, 1639-1730, or the Hagakure by Tsunetomo Yamamoto, 1659-1719. Instead, the stories in this book are mostly about ronins (fallen, wandering, or master-less samurai) who allow themselves to become involved in petty jealousies and spiteful revenge-seeking. These ronin stories are interspersed with tales of a more domestic nature, “The Loves of Gompachi and Komurasaki,” and “The Eta Maiden and the Hatamoto.”
Next comes a section of “Fairy Tales,” with nine tales still familiar to all Japanese children today, such as “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow,” “The Battle of the Ape and the Crab,” and “The Adventures of Little Peach Boy.” In contrast to these folktales is the legend “The Ghost of Sakura,” followed by the story, “How Tajima Shume Was Tormented by a Devil of His Own Creation.”
In each chapter, Mitford sets the scene with details not only of the local milieu but also its place in Japanese history. Then the story is presented, followed by an analysis of the text. For example, “The Ghost of Sakura” is preceded by a description of farmers and taxes, with details of crucifixions at the hands of merciless Tycoons. Then the main story is presented in full, in this case the story of an entire family that was unfairly hung. This is followed by an explanation of beliefs concerning ghosts and the example of the well-known Okiku, a servant who broke a set of her master’s dishes, was drowned in a well, and later appeared as a ghost that was constantly counting the dishes in the house before her spirit was exorcised.
This whole chapter ultimately illustrates the need of a community to construct a shrine in honor of deceased enemies as a way to appease evil spirits that might otherwise cause catastrophe to a community. (Note: One can visit many shrines in Japan today which were constructed for this very purpose of appeasing the spirits of slain enemies. For example, the famous Akama Shrine in Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture was built to appease the spirits of the slain infant emperor Antoku after the Battle of Dannoura in 1185.)
The next-to-the last section of this book, titled “Concerning Certain Superstitions,” mainly contains trickster tales, such as “How a Man Was Bewitched and Had His Head Shaved by the Foxes.” Finally, the last part of the main text is a section called “Japanese Sermons.” This is really the most interesting part of the book, as the witty sermons by Buddhist priests contain not only a plethora of proverbs but also anecdotes. The beginning of this section also offers a clue as to how Mitford was so prolific in his writing in such a short time. At a religious service he was “accompanied by two friends, ‘my artist,’ and a scribe to take notes” (241). No doubt, as a diplomat, Mitford had access to secretaries and translators to help with his fieldwork and research.
Four appendices to the book are a goldmine of data concerning Japanese rituals. One appendix gives an excruciatingly detailed description of “The Account of the Hara-Kiri,” a suicide ritual which Mitford was invited to witness. Other appendices describe what their titles indicate: “The Marriage Ceremony,” “On the Birth and Rearing of Children,” and “Funeral Rites.”
Mitford’s collection and observations have held through to today, a century and a half later. His reporting is accurate and reflects the mindset of Japanese people then and now. This book is not only extremely interesting to read but also should be required reading for anyone studying Japanese culture.
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[Review length: 793 words • Review posted on October 1, 2020]