The Young Monk and Other Tales

A handsome young retainer loses his family and renounces the world, but becoming a monk does not free him from ghosts. His encounters lead from the mountains of Kiso to a haunted Edo mansion and a final summons from his former lord.

In The Red and White Crepe Band, masked palace attendants exploit a protected dog to extort money. Their challengers fight in the moonlit streets while wealthy patrons, artists, and a poet pursue their own pleasures in the licensed quarter.

Two further tales offer contrasting portraits of Akagōshi Kurōemon. One sends a master of secret arts across the seas to rescue a Cambodian prince; the other follows his daughter through an Osaka revenge plot, marked victims, concealed identities, and an unexpected escape.