Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) was one of Japan's greatest poets and translators from classical Japanese. Her output was extraordinary, including twenty volumes of poetry and the most popular translation of the ancient classic "The Tale of Genji" into modern Japanese. The mother of eleven children, she was a prominent feminist and frequent contributor to Japan's first feminist journal of creative writing, "Seito" (Blue stocking).

In 1928 at a highpoint of Sino-Japanese tensions, Yosano was invited by the South Manchurian Railway Company to travel around areas with a prominent Japanese presence in China's northeast. This volume, translated for the first time into English, is her account of that journey. Though a portrait of China and the Chinese, the chronicle is most revealing as a portrait of modern Japanese representations of China -- and as a study of Yosano herself.

Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) was one of Japan's greatest poets and translators from classical Japanese. Her output was extraordinary, including twenty volumes of poetry and the most popular translation of the ancient classic "The Tale of Genji" into modern Japanese. The mother of eleven children, she was a prominent feminist and frequent contributor to Japan's first feminist journal of creative writing, "Seito" (Blue stocking).

In 1928 at a highpoint of Sino-Japanese tensions, Yosano was invited by the South Manchurian Railway Company to travel around areas with a prominent Japanese presence in China's northeast. This volume, translated for the first time into English, is her account of that journey. Though a portrait of China and the Chinese, the chronicle is most revealing as a portrait of modern Japanese representations of China -- and as a study of Yosano herself.

Court est le printemps, Qu'y a-t-il dans la vie Qui soit immortel? Et j'autorisai sa main Sur la rondeur de mes seins Ignorant la Voie Insouciants de l'avenir Meprisant la gloire, Seuls ici s'aimant d'amour Toi et moi nos deux regards Veritable hymne a l'amour, a l'art, et a la jeunesse, Cheveux emmeles (Midaregami) devient lors de sa parution en 1901 la reference de toute une generation de poetes. La jeune Yosano Akiko renouvelle alors puissamment le genre poetique du tanka (poeme de trente et une syllabes) et libere l'expression de la sensibilite feminine. Les 399 poemes du recueil disent tous la passion naissante de l'auteur pour son futur mari, poete lui aussi, dans une celebration aerienne du printemps et l'evidence joyeuse d'un coeur amoureux. Cette oeuvre capitale du romantisme japonais est ici traduite pour la premiere fois dans son integralite en langue occidentale.