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                  BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN &

                  TRANSLATIONS FROM THE JAPANESE

 

1. Kabuki

Zoe Kincaid, Kabuki: The Popular Stage of Japan. Macmillan (London, 1925). First edition. 25 x 18 cm. (10 x 7 inches).

Not a particularly scarce book, but I've never seen another copy with the dust jacket.

 

2. The Manyoshu

TAKI, SEIICHI and others, The Manyoshu [Manyoushuu]. One Thousand Poems, Selected and Translated from the Japanese. Iwanami Shoten for Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai (Tokyo, 1940). 26.5 x 19 cm. As the title pages states, this book has the text in romaji, an introduction, notes, maps, biographical notes and a chronological table. The full publishing information for this book is contained on a tipped-in slip at the back of the book; without that it is impossible to distinguish between the first printing and later impressions.

 

3. Two books by Karl Florenz

FLORENZ, KARL, Dichtergrusse Aus dem Osten: Japanische Dichten (Leipzig, Meishi 27, i.e., 1894). 96 pages [+2]; 19 x 15 cm. First edition. Scarce. 1897 gift inscription on title page and owner's inscriptions, including one on front cover, as pictured.

FLORENZ, KARL, Japanische Dramen; Terakoya und Asagao (Leipzig, Taisho 3, i.e., 1914). Seventh thousand. First published in 1900, but uncommon in any printing (about a dozen holding libraries in Japan, and about the same in Europe). Illustrated. Japanese paper, soft binding.

 


4. Tourist Library: Japanese Railways Publications

FUKUHITA, YASUNOSUKE, Tea Cult of Japan. Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways (1935). Second edition. The first book in the Tourist Library series. Soft cover. 19.5 cm. 77 pages.

NOGAMI, TOYOICHIRO, Japanese Noh Plays. Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways (1934). FIRST EDITION. Second book in the Tourist Library series. Softcover. 19.5 cm. 64 pp.

MIYOSHI, MANABU, Sakura, Japanese Cherry. Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways (1934). FIRST EDITION. Third book in the Tourist Library series. Softcover. 19.5 cm. 70 pages, plus floral calendar and map.

TATSUI, MATSUNOSUKE, Japanese Gardens. Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways (1934). FIRST EDITION. Fourth book in the Tourist Library series. Softcover. 19.5 cm. 111 pages.

R.T.I., Japanese Drama. Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways (1934). FIRST EDITION. Sixth book in the Tourist Library series. Softcover. Very good plus. 19.5 cm. 86 pages. Author's name not given on title page; given only as "R.T.I." in the list of titles already published. Complete with fold-out frontispiece.

Others:
HEARN, LAFCADIO, Literary Essays. Edited by Ichiro Nishizaki. Hokuseido (Tokyo, 1951). Second printing. One of five volumes (each complete in itself) of Hearn's scattered journalism. A publisher's note states that these were first printed in 1939 but most were destroyed by fire.

JORDAN, DAVIC STARR, The Human Harvest. American Unitarian Association (Boston, 1907). Small octavo. First edition, inscribed by the author, "Baron Takahashi, with the kinds regards of David Starr Jordan". (Included here because of the inscription) Original cloth spine and card boards, gilt title and owl logos.

 

KAPLEAU, PHILIP, The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice and Enlightenment. Compiled & edited, with translations, introductions & notes, by Philip Kapleau. John Weatherhill (Tokyo, 1965). First edition, inscribed by the author to Shinroku Inouye, a Japanese Zen master.

 

KISHIBE, SHIGEO, The Traditional Music of Japan (Ongaku No Tomo Sha, 1984). One of the most authoritative books in English on this subject. This book's first incarnation was in 1966. A second edition (1981) was substantially revised. The first two editions were small print runs. This is the third edition (i.e., the second printing of the revised edition).

 

NEESE, MARTHA AND MARVIN, Fun with Flowers: Japanese Flower Arrangement Made Easy (Weatherhill, 1969). First edition. Fine in very good dust jacket (bright and unfaded, but one or two chips and tears, notably a two-inch tear to top-right corner of front cover). Signed by the authors on the front free endpaper, with a dedication: "To a pretty Japanese lady - May you always Have Fun with Flowers".

 

NOGUCHI, YONE, The Spirit of Japanese Art (John Murray, London, no date). Wisdom of the East series. The book has a 1915 copyright date, but carries advertisements in the back for other books in the series that postdate this one, so is evidently a later issue. Has been deaccessioned from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and carries the appropriate stamps. Very good in good only dust jacket (substantial tear, affecting title on spine). Noguchi was one of the most respected academics of his time.

 



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