The Modern Murasaki

The Modern Murasaki

Writing by Women of Meiji Japan

The first anthology of its kind, The Modern Murasaki brings the vibrancy and rich imagination of women's writing from the Meiji period to English-language readers. Along with traditional prose, the editors have chosen and carefully translated short stories, plays, poetry, speeches, essays, and personal journal entries. Selected readings include writings by the public speaker Kishida Toshiko, the dramatist Hasegawa Shigure, the short-fiction writer Shimizu Shikin, the political writer Tamura Toshiko, and the novelists Miyake Kaho, Higuchi Ichiyo, Tazawa Inabune, Kitada Usurai, Nogami Yaeko, and Mizuno Senko. The volume also includes a thorough introduction to each reading, an extensive index listing historical, social, and literary concepts, and a comprehensive guide to further research.

The fierce tenor and bold content of these texts refute the popular belief that women of this era were passive and silent. A vital addition to courses in women's studies and Japanese literature and history, The Modern Murasaki is a singular resource for students and scholars.

  • Contents
  • Preface
  • Introduction: Meiji Women Writers
  • Meiji Women's Poetry
    • Selected Poems by Meiji Women
  • Kishida Toshiko (1863–1901)
    • Daughters in Boxes
  • Miyake Kaho (1868–1944)
    • Warbler in the Grove
  • Higuchi Ichiyo (1872–1896)
    • Higuchi Ichiyo's Journal Entries
  • Tazawa Inabune (1874–1896)
    • The Temple of Godai
  • Kitada Usurai (1876–1900)
    • Hiding the Gray
    • Wretched Sights
  • Shimizu Shikin (1868–1933)
    • How Determined Are Today's Women Students?
    • The Broken Ring
    • School for Emigres
  • Hasegawa Shigure (1879–1941)
    • Wavering Traces
  • Nogami Yaeko (1885–1985)
    • Persimmon Sweets
  • Mizuno Senko (1888–1919)
    • For More Than Forty Days
  • Tamura Toshiko (1884–1945)
    • Lifeblood
    • The Vow
  • Further Reading
  • Contributors
  • Index

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