TALES OF THE
SAMURAI

The following tales of the samurai, the knights of old Japan, are basedlargely on real facts. They have been adapted from among traditionalstories related by kōdanshi, story-tellers, who nightly delightlarge audiences with romances and historical stories, especially thenoble deeds of the samurai. There are also numerous Japanese books andmagazines devoted to stories of this description, which are read withkeen interest by all classes of our countrymen, in particular by youngpeople.

It is true the samurai class has gone forever along with feudalism;but fortunately or unfortunately the Japanese at large are samuraiin a sense. During the last half century European civilization hasrevolutionized Japanese society, both for better and for worse. Ininstitutions political and social, in manners and customs, in artsand literature, the Japanese have lost many of their characteristics;yet it may safely be said that the sentiments,[ii] motives and moralprinciples of the samurai in some measure remain in the bedrock oftheir character in their subconsciousness, so to speak. The Japanese ofto-day are intellectually almost cosmopolitans, but emotionally theyare still samurai to no small degree.

Honest Kyūsuké, the hero of the story of the same title, was not asamurai, but his principles were those of a samurai. Let that justifythe inclusion of the story in this volume.

The author’s hearty thanks are due to Mr. Joyen Momokawa, a celebratedkōdanshi, who kindly helped him in the choice of these tales, andalso to the editor of the Kōdan Kurabu for permission to translateKatsuno’s Revenge, one of his stories.

A. Miyamori.

Tokio, December, 1920.