Acknowledgments

I believe that it is important to remind readers that the English-language translation presented here can only represent my particular version of Mori Arimasa’s elusive, erudite, and often poetic text. Another translator might well give a different nuance or emphasis to sentence after sentence in this often ambiguous and sometimes abstract flow of words. It is my hope that, if nothing else, this translation, whatever its shortcomings, can serve as an enthusiastic introduction to a fascinating and valuable Japanese writer and intellectual, one about whom we should certainly enjoy knowing more.

Mori’s text is peppered with the names of European writers, artists, and thinkers, some well-known in the English-speaking world, some not. I have not burdened the text with footnotes, choosing rather to insert a word or two of identification for the more obscure figures directly into the translation itself. All the works of art discussed by Mori can quickly be found and viewed on the internet.

In particular I wish to acknowledge the crucial help I had in obtaining the rights to publish this translation. I had help from several colleagues, John Gillespie, Hiroaki Sato, and most of all, Hiroshi Kagawa, chief executive officer of IBC Publishing Company in Tokyo, for their stalwart efforts on my behalf, along with Miyagi Kana and the other helpful staff of Chikuma Shobō.

In preparing the manuscript, I want to give a special thanks to my editor Alexis Shimon for her unflagging support and encouragement, to India Miraglia, my acquisitions assistant, and to my copy editor, Brad Allard.

In preparing this translation I have had help and kindness from any number of colleagues and friends. Among them:

Professor Michiko Yusa, who as a colleague and friend, has provided so such sustained help and encouragement.

Professor Laurent Rauber, with whom I have enjoyed a stimulating long-distance email exchange about Mori. As I indicated in my essay, his dissertation and subsequent observations have provided me with much that has helped me in preparing this translation.

Toshiko Marra, who helped identify some rather obscure figures in French historical and artistic circles.

Manami Kawamura, who kindly explained to me the Japanese musical terms used by Mori when he describes the music of Bach.

Hiroaki Sato, who has permitted my use of his eloquent translation of a poem from the Kojiki.

Ms. Yurie Muramatsu, who helped me identify a number of names and terms.

Help of various kinds from Samuel Yamashita, Linda Ellison, and my son Mark Rimer.

This book was published with the help of a William F. Sibley Memorial Subvention Award for Japanese Translation from the University of Chicago Center for East Asian Studies Committee on Japanese Studies.