Author: Dale Furutani
Publisher:
Harper Collins, New
York.USA.2000.
ISBN:
0-688-15819-6
Pages: 230
Daily life in Edo (Tokyo) in 1603
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Copyright. JapaneseCustomer.com, 2015. All
rights reserved.
Dale
Furutani writes about Edo (modern day Tokyo) in 1603 when the Shogun Ieyasu
Tokugawa ruled and was building Edo castle.
A
historical samurai story about a ronin (a master less samurai) Kaze Matsuyama
who lost his lord in the great battle of Sekigahara a major turning point in
Japanese history.
We
find him seeking to avenge his lord and lord’s wife’s death and to find
and take care of their young daughter who has been taken away by strangers.
“Action and waiting were a natural
balance, like breathing in and breathing out” p201
The
story takes us along the dusty streets, wooden houses, theatres and gambling
dens of the sprawling Edo where we gain insights into politics, daily life,
military rule. He particularly draws us to the many special things that made
Edo great, for example: street vendors, entertainers, bath houses and the
people.
A
very insightful look into an important historical period with an entertaining
view of the people, lifestyle, relationships and loyalties.
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