The Monk Gōsuke and Other Writings

An execution stake appears outside a wealthy merchant’s door with an enormous demand for money. The robber behind it is a monk with a terrible secret, and neither a tea master nor a ruler can dismiss his threat.

A second tale follows the young man who will become Katsu Kaishū, hearing a mysterious drum in times of famine and political danger. In Spain, a seemingly shabby traveler investigates the theft of a royal earring while the city prepares for a bullfight.

At an Edo moat, the villains and ghosts of the Yotsuya tradition meet in a darkly comic reversal. A final miscellaneous essay considers Chinese secret societies and the messages lovers might convey through flowers, postage stamps, and smoking.