Wandering around old Tokyo with Japanese literary giants

Introduction

In this book, we invited Nagai Kafu, a pioneer of "strolling literature" and a representative writer of Japanese aestheticism, to serve as our tour guide for this journey. Nagai Kafu wrote countless works in his life, and he was particularly good at writing prose, essays, diaries and other genres. We have selected more than ten essays and novels from his works spanning various stages of his life, and asked him to use delicate words to lead us through the past and stroll through the poetic streets of old Tokyo.

Ginza with its ever-changing streetscape, Asakusa full of common people's humanity, Dentsuin Temple carrying Kafu's childhood memories...many places are still famous tourist landmarks in Tokyo today. Nagai Kafu spreads out a city map of old Tokyo, covering every corner that he sees, as well as his insights into Eastern and Western culture, history and modernity, life and art.

Nagai Kafu (1879-1959), a novelist, whose original name was Nagai Sokichi and whose pseudonym was Duanchangtingi Master. Born in Koishikawa, Tokyo, he was familiar with Kabuki and traditional Japanese music since childhood and has a profound knowledge of Chinese studies. He lived in Europe and the United States in his youth and was deeply influenced by Western thoughts. After returning to China, he became a professor at Keio University and edited the magazine "Mita Literature" during his teaching tenure.

Nagai Kafu published many novels and essay collections in his lifetime, including "Flowers of Hell", "French Story" and "The Diary of the Harukatei". In his later years, he was awarded the Order of Culture by the Japanese government. He loved taking walks in Tokyo and was fond of the culture of the Edo period, leaving behind many walking essays describing the city scenery.