Shibue Chūsai, Volume 1

An old book leads Mori Ōgai into the life of Shibue Chūsai, an Edo physician, bibliographer, and scholar.

Family memories, letters, books, and official records reveal his marriages, children, teachers, and friends. The search preserves the uncertainties and disagreements of its evidence.

This first volume translates the supplied opening fifty-five sections, following Chūsai through his death and examining his literary legacy. Explanatory notes accompany the historical names and documentary sources.