''Tales of Old Japan'' (1871) is an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

of short stories compiled by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, Lord Redesdale, writing under the better known name of

A.B. Mitford Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale, (24 February 183717 August 1916) was a British diplomat, collector and writer. Nicknamed "Barty", he was the paternal grandfather of the Mitford sisters. Early years Freeman-Mitford was ...

. These stories focus on various aspects of Japanese life before the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

. The book, which was written in 1871, forms an introduction to

Japanese literature Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japanes ...

and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

, both through the stories, all adapted from Japanese sources, and Mitford's supplementary notes. Also included are Mitford's eyewitness accounts of a selection of Japanese rituals, ranging from

harakiri , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...

(

seppuku , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...

) and marriage to a selection of sermons.

* The Forty-Seven rônins * The Loves of Gompachi and Komurasaki * Kazuma's Revenge * A Story of the Otokodaté of Yedo * The Wonderful Adventures of Funakoshi Jiuyémon * The Eta Maiden and the Hatamoto * Fairy Tales **

The Tongue-cut Sparrow , translated literally into "Tongue-Cut Sparrow", is a traditional Japanese fable telling of a kind old man, his avaricious wife and an injured sparrow. The story explores the effects of greed, friendship and jealousy on the characters. Andrew La ...

** The Accomplished and Lucky Tea-kettle ** The Crackling Mountain ** The Story of the Old Man who Made Withered Trees to Blossom ** The Battle of the Ape and the Crab ** The Adventures of Little Peachling ** The Foxes' Wedding ** The History of Sakata Kintoki ** The Elves and the Envious Neighbour * The

Ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

of Sakura * How Tajima Shumé was Tormented by a Devil of His Own Creation * Concerning Certain Superstitions ** The Vampire Cat of Nabéshima ** The Story of the Faithful Cat ** How a Man was Bewitched and Had His Head Shaved by the Foxes ** The Grateful Foxes ** The Badger's Money ** The Prince and the Badger * Japanese Sermons ** The Sermons of Kiu-O, Vol. 1. Sermon 1 ** The Sermons of Kiu-O, Vol. 1. Sermon 2 ** The Sermons of Kiu-O, Vol. 1. Sermon 3 *Appendices ** An Account of the Hari-Kiri ** The Marriage Ceremony ** The Birth and Rearing of Children ** Funeral Rites

References

* Mitford, A.B. (Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, Lord Redesdale) (1871). ''Tales of Old Japan.'' London. * * Screech, Timon. (2006). ''Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779–1812.'' London:

RoutledgeCurzon Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...

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and

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* Japanese literature 1871 anthologies Japanese anthologies {{Japan-lit-stub

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References

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