Revenge at Gojīngahara

An official lies dying after an attack in his lord’s Edo residence. His family obtains permission to avenge him, and his brother and son set out with a servant who can recognize the fugitive. Their search carries them across Japan, through misleading reports, dwindling funds, and illness.

Meanwhile, the dead man’s daughter Riyo pursues her own search among the households where she serves. A chance conversation brings news that changes everything. When the long-awaited encounter finally comes, the story turns from the pursuit itself to the painstaking official inquiry and the different futures granted to those who took part.

First published in 1913, Mori Ōgai’s historical narrative combines restrained storytelling with the particulars of journeys, household service, ritual, and administrative records. This complete new English translation retains the supplied text’s itinerary, dialogue, calendar dates, confession, wound report, and closing poem. Twenty-one notes clarify historical terms, traditional measurements, wordplay, and discrepancies preserved from the Japanese source.