Publications

Yosano Akiko and The Tale of Genji

Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) has long been recognized as one of the most influential literary figures in twentieth-century Japan, famous for the passion of her early poetry and for her contributions to debates about women. A major part of Akiko’s career was also devoted to work on the Japanese classics—especially the great eleventh-century novel The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. [...] Read more

Autobiography of a Geisha

Autobiography of a Geisha is my translation of a memoir by the former hot spring geisha Masuda Sayo (1925-2008). Accounts of geisha and their world tend to focus on the entertainment districts of Kyoto and Tokyo, and the geisha life is depicted as glamorous and devoted to the pursuit of art. [...] Read more