NOTES

PAGE	The Author	All these tales are the work of Saïkaku Ihara, who lived in Japan during the seventeenth century, being born in 1642 and dying in 1693. They are mainly chosen from his Glorious Tales of Pederafty, though some are from Tales of the Samurai Spirit and Tales of the Duty of a Samuraiy and one from Stories in Letters. I have translated them from the recently published and quite unique French version of Ken Sato. The significance of the tales is discussed in my terminal essay, where further information about their author will also be found.
3	shyogum	Regent, governor i general.
17	facings	The samurai wore a kindof reversed collar, shaped as two triangles, falling like wings on each shoulder. The clothes worn by Ukyo are those prescribed for Hara-kiri.
30	great badger	In old Japanese belief thebadger had supernatural powers, and pursued men in some horrible shape.
73	Yukihira	and Narihira were brothers of noble family, each famous for his beauty and poetic talent.
89	Jinko	The name both of a tree and the incense which it furnishes.