The Yuzu Bath and A Journey to Reims

A winter bath scented with yuzu brings news of a neighbour's death, and memories of a proud Edo family left behind by a changing city. On a journey through France, a Japanese visitor crosses the shattered streets of Reims and sees poppies growing over the battlefields. Four years later, the ruins return to his mind in earthquake-stricken Tokyo.

These two complete reminiscences by Okamoto Kidō move between the intimacy of a neighbourhood and the devastation of a distant city. In each, apparently ordinary observations open onto the loss of a way of life.

A short paired edition for readers of Japanese classics, literary memoir and early twentieth-century travel writing.