''Travelers of a Hundred Ages'' is a nonfiction work on the literary form of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

diaries Diaries may refer to: * the plural of diary *''Diaries: 1971-1976'', a 1981 documentary by Ed Pincus *'' Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years'', a 2006 book by Michael Palin *''OFW Diaries ''OFW Diaries'' is a Philippine television documentary ...

Donald Keene Donald Lawrence Keene (June 18, 1922 – February 24, 2019) was an American-born Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature. Keene was University Professor emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japan ...

, who writes in his Introduction that he was introduced to Japanese diaries during his work as a translator for the United States in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

when he was assigned to translate captured diaries of soldiers; he found them moving enough that he continued to study that

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

. Keene's book takes the form of self-contained long chapters (originally published as independent essays in Japanese in ''

Asahi Shimbun is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and ...

'') that deal with a single diary, each of which is valuable in its own right as a literary work "... but, as far as I know, only in Japan did the diary acquire the status of a literary genre comparable in importance to novels, essays, and other branches of literature that elsewhere are esteemed more highly than diaries." pg 1, Introduction of the Holt edition. This treatment is especially apparent when Keene writes of

Matsuo Bashō born then was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative '' haikai no renga'' form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest ma ...

's travel diaries, such as '' The Narrow Road to the North'', or provides a window into an author's life, such as in the case of

Fujiwara no Teika , better-known as Fujiwara no Teika"Sadaie" and "Teika" are both possible readings of ; "...there is the further problem, the rendition of the name in romanized form. Teika probably referred to himself as Sadaie, and his father probably called ...

's ''Meigetsuki'' ("Chronicle of the Clear Moon"). {{Infobox book , name = Travelers of a Hundred Ages: The Japanese as Revealed Through 1,000 Years of Diaries , title_orig = , translator = , image = Travelers of a Hundred Ages.jpg , caption = First edition , author =

, cover_artist = , country = USA , language = English , series = , subject = Japanese diaries and literature , genre = Academic , publisher = Henry Holt and Company, Inc. , release_date = 1989 , media_type = Trade paperback , pages = 468 (1st edition; including index) , isbn = 0-8050-0751-2 , isbn_note = (1999

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fiel ...

edition: {{ISBN, 0-231-11437-0) , dewey= 895.6/803 19 , congress= PL741.1 .K44 1989 , oclc= 18835736 , preceded_by = , followed_by = There are variant versions of ''Travelers of a Hundred Ages''; the original English version published by Henry Holt deals with diaries between the 850s CE and up to c. 1850, while the Japanese version has a continuation that brings the time span up to c. 1925, in addition to certain chapters that were omitted from the Holt edition "because it seemed unlikely that they would interest readers outside Japan".pg ''xi'' of the 1st Henry Holt edition, Preface. An expanded edition was later published by Columbia University Press in 1999. Thematically, the essays are grouped by historical period. Names are given Japanese-style, family name first.

"Heian Diaries"

*'' The Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Buddhist Law'', by

Ennin , better known in Japan by his posthumous name, Jikaku Daishi (), was a priest of the Tendai school of Buddhism in Japan, and its third . Ennin was instrumental in expanding the Tendai Order's influence, and bringing back crucial training and re ...

*'' The Tosa Diary'', by

Ki no Tsurayuki was a Japanese author, poet and court noble of the Heian period. He is best known as the principal compiler of the ''Kokin Wakashū'', also writing its Japanese Preface, and as a possible author of the ''Tosa Diary'', although this was publishe ...

*''

The Gossamer Years ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', by "the mother of Michitsuna" or

Michitsuna no Haha Fujiwara no Michitsuna no Haha (藤原道綱母, 935–995) was a waka poet in the Mid Heian period. She was in her mid-thirties when she began to write her journal ''Kagerō Nikki,'' written in a combination of waka poems and prose. Her diary g ...

*''

The Master of the Hut ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', by Zōki ( 増基) *'' The Izumi Shikibu Diary'', by

Izumi Shikibu was a mid-Heian period Japanese poet. She is a member of the . She was the contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, and Akazome Emon at the court of empress Joto Mon'in. She "is considered by many to have been the greatest woman poet of the Heian pe ...

*''

The Murasaki Shikibu Diary is the title given to a collection of diary fragments written by the 11th-century Japanese Heian era lady-in-waiting and writer Murasaki Shikibu. It is written in kana, then a newly-developed writing system for vernacular Japanese, more common a ...

'', by

Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court in the Heian period. She is best known as the author of '' The Tale of Genji,'' widely considered to be one of the world's first novels, written in Japanese between abou ...

*''

The Sarashina Diary The is a memoir written by the daughter of Sugawara no Takasue, a lady-in-waiting of Heian-period Japan. Her work stands out for its descriptions of her travels and pilgrimages and is unique in the literature of the period, as well as one of the ...

'', by

the daughter of Takasue , also known as Takasue's Daughter, was a Japanese noble woman, poet, and author best known for writing the ''Sarashina Nikki,'' a Heian period travel diary recording her life and travels from her teenage years to her fifties. She is also attribu ...

*'' The Tale of the Tonomine Captain or the Takamitsu Diary'', by

Fujiwara no Takamitsu Fujiwara no Takamitsu (藤原高光, c. 939-994) was a mid-Heian period ''waka'' poet and Japanese nobleman. He is designated as a member of the Thirty-six Poetry Immortals. His father was Fujiwara no Morosuke, and his mother was , the daughter o ...

*''

The Collection of the Mother of Jojin, the Ajari ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', by ? *'' The Sanuki no Suke Diary'', by

Fujiwara no Nagako Fujiwara no Nagako ( – after 1119) was a servant of two Japanese tennōs of the Heian period. She became famous as the author of a ''nikki bungaku''. Career She became famous under the two notnames of Sanuki Tenji (Court lady of the Sanuki Prov ...

*'' Chuyuki, by

Fujiwara no Munetada Fujiwara (, written: 藤原 lit. "''Wisteria'' field") is a Japanese surname. (In English conversation it is likely to be rendered as .) Notable people with the surname include: ; Families * The Fujiwara clan and its members ** Fujiwara no Kamatari ...

*'' Poetry Collections and Poem Tales'', by Shijonomiya no Shimotsuke *'' The Poetic Memoirs of Lady Daibu'', by Lady Daibu

Diaries of the Kamakura Period

*'' Chronicle of the Bright Moon'', by

*'' The Diary of Minamoto Ienaga'', by Minamoto Ienaga *'' The Visit of the Emperor Takakura to Itsukushima'', by

Minamoto no Michichika was a Japanese noble and statesman of the late Heian period and early Kamakura period. Serving in the courts of seven different emperors, he brought the Murakami Genji to the peak of their success. He is also commonly known as , and in Sōtō Ze ...

*'' The Ascension to Heaven of the Late Emperor Takakura'', by

*'' Journey Along the Seacoast Road'', by anonymous *'' The Diary of the Priest Shunjo'', by Shunjo *'' A Journey East of the Barrier'' *'' Fitful Slumbers'', by

Abutsu Abutsu-ni (阿仏尼, c. 12221283; the ''-ni'' suffix means "nun") was a Japanese poet and nun. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Kuni-Naishinnō, later known as Empress Ankamon-in. In approximately 1250 she married fellow poet Fujiwara n ...

*'' The Diary of the Waning Moon'', by

*'' The Diary of Asukai Masaari'', by Asukai Masaari *'' The Diary of Lady Ben'', by

Ben no Naishi Ben no Naishi (1220s?–ca. 1270?) was a 13th-century Japanese court lady, poet and memoirist. Ben no Naishi was the daughter of the poet and painter Fujiwara Nobuzane; her younger sister Shosho no Naishi was also a poet. She served at court as a l ...

*'' Diary of Lady Nakatsukasa'', by Nakatsukasa no Naishi *'' The Confessions of Lady Nijō'', by Koga Nijō *'' Account of the Takemuki Palace'', by Hino Nako

Diaries of the Muromachi Period

*'' Account of a Pilgrimage to the Great Shrine of Ise'', by Saka Jubutsu *'' Gifts from the Capital'', by Sokyu *'' Reciting Poetry to Myself at Ojima'', by

Nijō Yoshimoto , son of regent Nijō Michihira, was a Japanese ''kugyō'' (court noble), waka poet, and renga master of the early Nanboku-chō period (1336–1392). Yoshimoto's wife gave birth to Nijō Moroyoshi. With another woman, he had sons Nijō Morotsugu ...

*'' Pilgrimage to Sumiyoshi'', by

Ashikaga Yoshiakira was the second ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1358 to 1367 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshiakira was the son of the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Takauji. His mother was ...

*'' The Visit to Itsukushima of the Lord of the Deer Park'', by

Imagawa Ryoshun , also known as , was a renowned Japanese people, Japanese Japanese poetry, poet and military commander who served as tandai ("constable") of Kyūshū under the Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga bakufu from 1371 to 1395. His father, Imagawa Norikuni, ...

*'' A Source of Consolation'', by

Shōtetsu Shōtetsu (, 1381–1459 CE) was a Japanese poet during the Muromachi period, and is considered to have been the last poet in the courtly waka tradition;Miner 1968, p.139; "Shotetsu is thought by some Japanese today to be the finest poet of the c ...

*'' Journey to Fuji'', by Asukai Masayo *'' Journey to Zenko-ji'', by Gyoe *'' Account of Fujikawa'', by

Ichijō Kaneyoshi , also known as Ichijō Kanera, was the son of regent Tsunetsugu. He was a '' kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Muromachi period (1336–1573). He held regent positions sesshō in 1432, and kampaku from 1447 to 1453 and from 1467 to 1470. ...

*'' Journey to Shirakawa'', by

Sōgi Iio Sōgi, (or Inō Sōgi) generally known as , was a Japanese poet. He came from a humble family from the province of Kii or Ōmi, and died in Hakone on September 1, 1502. Sōgi was a Zen monk from the Shokokuji temple in Kyoto and he studied ...

*'' Journey Along the Tsukushi Road'', by

*'' Account of Sogi's Last hours'', by

Socho Sokho (alternate spellings: Sokhoh, Sochoh, Soco, Sokoh; he, שׂוֹכֹה ,שׂוֹכ֖וֹ ,שֹׂכֹ֖ה) is the name given to two ancient towns in the territorial domain of Judah as mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, west of the Judean hill ...

*'' Account of Utsunoyama'', by

*'' Socho's Notebook'', by

*'' A Pilgrimage to Yoshino'', by Sanjonishi Kin'eda *'' Journey to See Fuji'', by Satomura Joha *'' The Diary of Gen'yo'', by Gen'yo *'' Choshoshi's Journey to Kyushu'', by Kinoshira Choshoshi

Diaries of the Early Tokugawa Period

*'' A Record of Favors Received'', by

Matsunaga Teitoku Matsunaga Teitoku (1570-1653) was a haiku writer, considered by R H Blyth to be the most important of Matsuo Bashō's predecessors. Achievements Teitoku played a significant role in regularising the rules for Haikai, and in raising its importance ...

*'' A Journey of 1616'', by

Hayashi Razan , also known as Hayashi Dōshun, was a Japanese Neo-Confucianism, Neo-Confucian philosopher and writer, serving as a tutor and an advisor to the first four ''shōguns'' of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa ''bakufu''. He is also attributed with f ...

*'' Travels Round the East'', by

Anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anonym ...

*'' A Journey in the Year 1667'', by

Ikeda Tsunamasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period. He was the head of the Okayama Domain.Edmond_Papinot.html" ;"title="DF_18_of_80/nowiki>_retrieved_2013-4-25. # .html"_;"title="DF_18_of_8 ....Edmond Papinot">Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ...

Bashō's Diaries

*'' Exposed in the Fields'' *'' A Pilgrimage to Kashima'' *'' Manuscript in My Knapsack'' *'' Journey to Sarashina'' *'' The Narrow Road of Oku'' *'' The Saga Diary''

Diaries of the Later Tokugawa Period

*'' Journey to the Northwest'', by

Kaibara Ekken __NOTOC__ or Ekiken, also known as Atsunobu (篤信), was a Japanese Neo-Confucianism, Neo-Confucianist philosopher and botanist. Kaibara was born into a family of advisors to the ''daimyō'' of Fukuoka Domain in Chikuzen Province (modern-day F ...

*'' Travels of Gentlemen Emissaries'', by

Ogyū Sorai (March 21, 1666 – February 28, 1728), pen name Butsu Sorai, was a Japanese Confucian philosopher. He has been described as the most influential such scholar during the Edo period Japan. His primary area of study was in applying the teachings ...

*'' The Frolic of the Butterfly'', by Yamazaki Hokka *'' Diary of the Nagasaki Border Guard'', by Nagakubo Sekisui *'' Diary of Kokan's Trip to the West'', by

Shiba Kōkan , born Andō Kichirō (安藤吉次郎) or Katsusaburō (勝三郎), was a Japanese painter and printmaker of the Edo period, famous both for his Western-style '' yōga'' paintings, in imitation of Dutch oil painting styles, methods, and themes ...

*'' Journal of a New Era'', by

Ōta Nanpo was the most oft-used penname of Ōta Tan, a late Edo-period Japanese poet and fiction writer. Ōta Nanpo wrote primarily in the comedic forms of ''kyōshi'', derived from comic Chinese verse, and ''kyōka'', derived from ''waka'' poetry. Ōta Nan ...

*'' Bakin's Diaries'', by

Takizawa Bakin (), a.k.a. (, 4 July 1767 – 1 December 1848), was a Japanese novelist of the Edo period. Born (), he wrote under the pen name (). Later in life he took the pen name (). Modern scholarship generally refers to him as , or just as n. He is ...

*'' The Diary of Iseki Takako'', by Iseki Takako *'' The Uraga Diary'', by

Sakuma Shōzan sometimes called Sakuma Zōzan, was a Japanese politician and scholar of the Edo period. Biography Born Sakuma Kunitada, he was the son of a samurai and scholar and his wife , and a native of (or Shinano Province) in present day's Nagano Pref ...

*''The Nagasaki Diary'', by

Kawaji Toshiakira Kawaji (written: 川路) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese politician *, pen name of Kawaki Makoto, Japanese poet and literary critic See also * Kawaji Station, a railway station in Iida, Nagano Prefecture ...

*''The Shimoda Diary'', by Kawaji Toshiakira

References

Japanese books Books about Japan 1989 non-fiction books Henry Holt and Company books