Status
Available
Genres
Publication
New York, Random House [1961]
Description
The beguiling story of the Minaguchi-ya, an ancient inn on the Tokaido Road, founded on the eve of the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. Travelers and guests flow into and past the inn--warriors on the march, lovers fleeing to a new life, pilgrims on their merry expeditions, great men going to and from the capital. The story of the Minaguchi-ya is a social history of Japan through 400 years, a ringside seat to some of the most stirring events of a stirring period.
User reviews
LibraryThing member LaurelMildred
One of the best but most overlooked books I've ever read. The story of the Minaguchi-ya Inn, strategically located along the historic Tokaido Road, is skillfully woven into the history of pre-modern Japan, and each successive generation of innkeepers has a part to play in the battles, conspiracies,
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intrigue, art, politics, pilgrimages and highway robbery that unfold at its doorstep. Beautifully written, with reproductions of famous Japanese prints, this story is a walk into another world. Show Less
LibraryThing member MrsLee
This was a fascinating book on the history of Japan. It tells the history by recording the events and people that passed by an Inn on the main road between the Emperor and the Shogun. Well written and humorous, a great way to read history. It's also filled with reproductions of historic Japanese
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prints. Show Less
Awards
Notable Books List (1961)