The Yotsuya Kwaidan | Page 4

politician cut his
belly open. His obedience to the suzerain's will was duly reported. His
family was ruined or reprieved according to a capricious estimation of
its power of resentment--and it became a question of "who next?" to try
for a place on the wheel. On the contrary those lower officials,[2]
engaged in the dull routine of bureaucratic office, had a much less
dangerous service and etiquette to deal with. In insignificant ease they
lived and intrigued in their petty way, under no obligation to take sides
in the politics of the truly great. If they fell, it was largely their own
fault. Such was the position of those in immediate contact with the
working wheels of the Sho[u]gun's Government. The great bugyo[u]
(magistrates) were continually shifting. Their court staff was the solid
foundation of unyielding precedent in form. The one was a court officer;
the others court officers.
Hence the Kwaidan possesses value for the social lesson it conveys.
The admittance of a stranger to the ward, his evil bond with the Lady of
Tamiya, the previous passion for O'Hana and thereby the entanglement
of Kwaiba in the plot; all form a network in which the horror of the
story is balanced by the useful lessons to be drawn by the mind of
Nippon from its wickedness. Perhaps this belief in the effect of the
curse of the suicide acts both in deterring or bringing back the erring

husband, and in saving the wife from the extremities of her despair in
abandonment. The story of O'Iwa, the belief in her power, to-day has a
strong influence on a certain class of the Nipponese mind; especially
among the women. If the present writer might have felt momentarily an
amused feeling at sight of her worshippers, it was quickly lost at sight
of the positive unhappiness expressed in these faces of the abandoned.
A visit to the Tamiya Inari is not necessarily either one of idle curiosity
or without results. Some exceedingly painful impressions can be
brought away in the mind.
It is not entirely in jest therefore that apology is made for the
reproduction of the story. It is well in such matters to follow one's
predecessors. Moreover, public sentiment is not to be derided nor
disregarded. It has a certain title to respect, even when superstition is
involved. Hence the statement can be made, that in telling this story of
the "Yotsuya Kwaidan" no derogatory motive is involved--to people,
class, or person; least of all in reference to the dread Lady of Tamiya.
OMARUDANI--4th July, 1916.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER. PAGE
PROEM 15 I. O'MINO AND DENSUKÉ 17 II. KAWAI SAN OF
KANDA KU 28 III. TAKAHASHI DAIHACHIRO[U] 35 IV. THE
APPEARANCE OF O'IWA SAN 43 V. THE AFFAIR OF THE
SHIBA KIRIDO[U]SHI 49 VI. NEGOTIATIONS: THE BUSINESS
OF A NAKO[U]DO OR MARRIAGE BROKER 63 VII. IÉMON
APPEARS 74 VIII. IF OLD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT 86 IX.
LOVE KNOTS 93 X. THE PLOT AGAINST O'IWA 99 XI. THE
PLOT DEVELOPS 106 XII. KWAIBA'S REVENGE 114 XIII. THE
YO[U]TAKA (NIGHT-HAWKS) OF HONJO[U] 123 XIV. THE
PUNISHMENT 131 XV. CHO[U]BEI GETS THE NEWS 141 XVI.
NEWS REACHES KWAIBA 155 XVII. NEWS OF KWAIBA 162
XVIII. IN THE SHADOW OF THE GO INKYO[U] 173 XIX.

TAMIYA YOÉMON: WITH NEWS OF KONDO[U]
ROKURO[U]BEI AND MYO[U]ZEN THE PRIEST 180 XX. KIBEI
DONO 195 XXI. MATTERS ECCLESIASTICAL 212 XXII. THE
RITES FOR O'IWA 222 XXIII. THE SANZUGAWA, BRIDGELESS;
THE FLOWERLESS ROAD TRAVERSED BY THE DEAD 233
APPENDICES 251
[The pronunciation of the Japanese vowels and consonants follows
closely the Italian; in diphthongs and triphthongs each vowel is given
full value.
a = a as in father, e = a as in mate, i = e as in meet, o = o as in soap, u =
oo as in fool.
g is always hard. In the To[u]kyo[u] district it has the sound ng.
ch has full value, as in church. It is not k; c is only found as ch; i.e. cha,
chi, cho, chu.
The vowels also have long (continued) sounds, marked by the accent -.
At times a vowel is elided; or rather but faintly touched by the voice.
Thus Sukéshigé is pronounced Skéshigé; Sukénaga = Skénaga;
Kuranosuké = Kuranoské. Bu and mu at the end of word lose the vowel
sound--Shikibu = Shikib.
Kami used in connection with a man means "lord," Wakasa no Kami =
Lord of Wakasa province.
Reprinted from the "Oguri Hangwan."]
(Kami also means "God" or divinized person; including the spirits of
the dead. Even a living man can be regarded as a kami, in cases of some
very unusual service rendered to the public welfare. Professor Imai
recently--at Karuizawa--called attention to the fact that originally kami
was written [kami], i.e. "superior." The divine attribute [kami] was
introduced with Buddhism.)

PROEM
Reader,