Bakemono Yashiki (The Haunted House), Retold from the Japanese Originals Tales of the Tokugawa, Volume 2 (of 2)

Again the site of the Yoshida Goten lapsed to waste land. Through the years stood the _yashiki_ of Aoyama Shu[u]zen, in wall and roof and beam gradually going to rot and ruin. P...

Rokuzo the _chu[u]gen_ sighed as he faced the long slope leading to the Kudanzaka. Pleasant had been his journey to this point. From his master's _yashiki_ in Ichigaya to the sh...

Jimbei, as of one born and bred in the town, at once led his companion off from the castle precincts. The many lanterns hung out in the narrow streets showed this Jinshukucho[u]...

The first efforts of Shu[u]zen at solving this mystery were not overly successful. A _samurai_, he betook himself to the highest exponent of the caste cult. In search of illumin...

Honoured sir, long past the source of this offence. It was the fourteenth year of Kwanei (1637). As now, the summer heat was stifling. To seek relief this Shimo had left the hou...

The struggle between Toyotomi and Tokugawa was of that embittered character which follows from two diverse theories of political structure. The Taiko[u] Hidéyoshi, by force of m...

When Prince Iyeyasu consolidated his power at Edo, more particularly on his becoming Sei-i-tai-Sho[u]gun, some provision had to be made for the great _daimyo[u]_ brought by the...

It was one of those small Fudo[u] temples, tucked away on a shelf of the hillside just above the roadway, embowered in trees, with its tiny fall and rock basin for the enthusias...

Thus it came about that O'Kiku was an inmate of Aoyama's _yashiki_. He had told the tale, the fatal error drawn by the mother from the peasant's message. It was her own deed. Th...

On the following night all were gathered in the apartments of her ladyship. O'Tsugi was engaged in putting back the _koto_ (harp) into its cover. O'Hagi Dono touched the instrum...

One day a toilet dealer came through the Bancho[u]. The sun was already on its decline as he passed the front of the Yoshida Goten on his way to his home in Kanda. It shone, how...

Endo[u] Saburo[u]zaémon heard the report of his officer. A slight frown puckered his brow, and he contemplated the big toe of his immaculately white _tabi_ (sock). "A vexatious...

Great was the excitement and lamentable the experience of the Aizawaya. The matter of O'Somé had been under discussion with the Iwakuniya. Beyond good words and cold courtesy li...

Something has been already said of the _chu[u]gen_ Isuké, unwilling guide of Endo[u] Saburo[u]zaémon to the haunted house of the Go Bancho[u]. Thus is the second person of the n...

Thus Kosaka Jinnai, under the name of Osada, at the beginning of Sho[u]ho[u] 2nd year (1645) was established at Aoyama Harajuku-mura. For a gentleman of such abilities his prete...

He was poor; coarsely and scantily clad as he came on his return through the darkness and snowflakes now coming down wet and moist, whirling and twisting under the increasing ga...

These events could not fail to cause comment. It was in the general room of the _hiban_, the fire guard of the castle, that the discussion came to a head. There were a number of...

The influence of a House close to the person of the Sho[u]gun was no drawback to the close attention Aoyama Shu[u]zen gave to official duty throughout his career. The Aoyama sto...

Up to the very recent days of Meiji the precincts of the Shiba San-en-zan Zo[u]jo[u]ji, now known more particularly as the most accessible of the burial places of the Tokugawa S...

The Sen-_himégimi_, eldest daughter of Hidétada the second Sho[u]gun, figures little in our story; enough so, however, to necessitate the telling of one of the not least strikin...

Chu[u]dayu's legs bent under him. "Ah! My lord! O'Kiku grasps my neck!" A cold hand laid upon him he shrieked in fear. Shu[u]zen turned--"Fool! 'Tis a clod of snow from the tree...

With the fall of O[u]saka castle (1615), and the culmination of the uneasy movements of the years following in the conspiracy of Honda Masazumi, the country entered on a long pe...

On the dull evening of the rainy season (June) Nakakawachi Shu[u]zen sat looking out on the dripping plants and trees. The home coming had brought no pleasure. The treachery of...

Aoyama's _yashiki_ blazed with light. The guests looked around, at the many lamps, the waiting-women in dainty attire, the ornament of service and of substance; and then looked...

Aoyama Shu[u]zen stalked forward to his cushion near the _ro[u]ka_. Carefully adjusting his robes he scowled--most heavily; mainly at the almost boy crouched before him at the w...

Aoyama Shu[u]zen was in conference with Chu[u]dayu. Preparations were to be made. It was with something like dismay that the members of the Endurance Society received the missiv...

When Takéda Shingen swept down upon the lower provinces in 1571, fought a rear guard action at Mikatagahara, in which he nearly extinguished Tokugawa Iyeyasu, with a taste of th...

Aoyama Shu[u]zen was not likely to brag of this exploit. All day he sat biting his thumbs, and drinking wine to obviate the effect of his nasty bath. An idea began to crystalliz...