Ise monogatari is one of classical Japan’s most important texts. It influenced other literary court romances like The Tale of Genji and inspired artists, playwrights, and poets throughout Japanese history and to the present day. In a series of 125 loosely connected episodes, the Ise tells the story of a famous lover, Captain Ariwara no Narihira (825–880), and his romantic encounters with women throughout Japan. Each episode centers on an exchange of love poems designed to demonstrate wit, sensitivity, and "courtliness." Joshua Mostow and Royall Tyler present a fresh, contemporary translation of this classic work, together with a substantial commentary for each episode. The commentary explores how the text has been read in the past and identifies not only the point of each episode, but also the full range of historical interpretations, many of which shaped the use of the Ise in later literary and visual arts. The book includes reproductions from a version of the 1608 Saga-bon printed edition of the Ise, the volume that established Ise iconography for the entire Edo period (1600–1868).

Ise monogatari is one of classical Japan’s most important texts. It influenced other literary court romances like The Tale of Genji and inspired artists, playwrights, and poets throughout Japanese history and to the present day. In a series of 125 loosely connected episodes, the Ise tells the story of a famous lover, Captain Ariwara no Narihira (825–880), and his romantic encounters with women throughout Japan. Each episode centers on an exchange of love poems designed to demonstrate wit, sensitivity, and "courtliness." Joshua Mostow and Royall Tyler present a fresh, contemporary translation of this classic work, together with a substantial commentary for each episode. The commentary explores how the text has been read in the past and identifies not only the point of each episode, but also the full range of historical interpretations, many of which shaped the use of the Ise in later literary and visual arts. The book includes reproductions from a version of the 1608 Saga-bon printed edition of the Ise, the volume that established Ise iconography for the entire Edo period (1600–1868).

Bruno Taut ranks the Ise Shrine with the Parthenon in architectural importance. John Burchard, in his preface, characterizes Ise as "one of the great architectural achievements of history. ... I suppose," he comments, "Ise has many lessons for contemporary architects once they get over being embarrassed by it." Robin Boyd, in his book, 'Kenzo Tange', observes that it was only after the Second World War that the West realized that many qualities of modern architecture were quite old. "These qualities had existed for centuries in Japanese buildings. ... It [Japanese tradition] relied on the use of ingenious construction and untreated natural material to build a sort of refined extension of nature: a concentration of nature's own kind of beauty. Thus Japan was rediscovered." The Ise Shrine, situated some 270 miles west of Tokyo, is both old and new. The shrine dates from at least A.D. 685, but every twenty years it is completely rebuilt. Each rebuilding--there have been 59 so far--is scrupulously undertaken to guarantee an exact and identical reproduction of the preceding shrine. In 1953, after the most recent renewal, but prior to the transfer of religious objects, not only were the authors allowed to inspect the prohibited area--it is ringed by four fences and contains the most important buildings--but they were granted unprecedented permission to photograph it. This book represents the first opportunity for most Westerners to view and study one of the architectural wonders of the world. 'ISE : Prototype of Japanese Architecture begins with a preface by John Burchard and a foreword by the internationally recognized architect, Kenzo Tange. Tange also has written one of the two main essays in the book; the other is by Noboru Kawazoe, in which Ise is examined primarily in terms of Japanese mythology and history. Tange discusses Ise in an architectural perspective; he writes, "In the subsequent history of Japanese architecture, extending over more than a thousand years, it has proved impossible to advance beyond the form of Ise. ... Along with the Parthenon Ise represents the peak in the history of world architecture. 'ISE : Prototype of Japanese Architecture belongs' in every fine arts collection and in every architectural library. The photographs, reproduced with exquisite care, make this book an invaluable architectural study, a work of genuine scholarship, and a visual delight. The text, especially prepared for a Western audience, invites the attention of all those interested in Japanese culture. Scholars of comparative religion and cultural anthropology will also find the book of value."--Publisher's description.

A new edition of the most widely known and popular collection of Japanese poetry. The best-loved and most widely read of all Japanese poetry collections, the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu contains 100 short poems on nature, the seasons, travel, and, above all, love. Dating back to the seventh century, these elegant, precisely observed waka poems (the precursor of haiku) express deep emotion through visual images based on a penetrating observation of the natural world. Peter MacMillan's new translation of his prize-winning original conveys even more effectively the beauty and subtlety of this magical collection. Translated with an introduction and commentary by Peter MacMillan.

Traditional Japanese Literature features a rich array of works dating from the very beginnings of the Japanese written language through the evolution of Japan's noted aristocratic court and warrior cultures. It contains stunning new translations of such canonical texts as The Tales of the Heike as well as works and genres previously ignored by scholars and unknown to general readers.

This collection of translated tales is from the most famous work in all of Japanese classical literature--the Konjaku Monogatari Shu. This collection of traditional Japanese folklore is akin to the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer or Dante's Inferno--powerfully entertaining tales that reveal striking aspects of the cultural psychology, fantasy, and creativity of medieval Japan--tales that still resonate with modern Japanese readers today. The ninety stories in this book are filled with keen psychological insights, wry sarcasm, and scarcely veiled criticisms of the clergy, nobles, and peasants alike--suggesting that there are, among all classes and peoples, similar failings of pride, vanity, superstition and greed--as well as aspirations toward higher moral goals. This is the largest collection in English of the Konjaku Monogatari Shu tales ever published in one volume. It presents the low life and the high life, the humble and the devout, the profane flirting, farting and fornicating of everyday men and women, as well as their yearning for the wisdom, transcendence and compassion that are all part and parcel of our shared humanity. Stories Include: The Grave of Chopsticks Robbers Come to a Temple and Steal Its Bell The Woman Fish Peddler at the Guardhouse Fish are Turned into the Lotus Sutra A Dragon is Caught by a Tengu Goblin The Monk Tojo Predicts the Fall of Shujaku Gate Wasps Attack a Spider in Revenge