A Walk Across Honshū in a Temper

A mysterious drop of blood precedes the departure, and floodwater surrounds the train. Oshikawa Shunrō means only to see his friends off at Mito, but the prospect of mountain travel and the pressure of their company draw him into a journey he cannot easily escape.

The painter Kosugi Misei, the Bearded General Yoshioka Shinkei, photographer Kigawa Sensuke, and writer Isawa Isui form an exuberant party. They climb Mount Yamizo, quarrel with porters, watch village dances, endure spoiled rice and a thirsty night, and turn exhaustion into a ridiculous footrace. Their adventures repeatedly provoke Oshikawa’s temper, puns, and attacks on the habits of modern society.

Published in 1911, this lively travel account combines mountain scenery, physical comedy, and sharply opinionated commentary. The complete English translation follows Oshikawa through his return to Tokyo and preserves his postscript about the companions who continue west. Notes explain historical measures, names, wordplay, textual discrepancies, and the narrator’s period claims. AI-assisted translation.