In the Shelter of the Pine: A Memoir of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu and Tokugawa Japan

In the early eighteenth century, Ōgimachi Machiko composed a memoir of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, the powerful samurai for whom she had served as a concubine for twenty years. Machiko assisted Yoshiyasu in his ascent to the rank of chief adjutant to the Tokugawa shogun, kept him in good graces with the imperial court, enabled him to study poetry with aristocratic teachers, and gave birth to two of his sons. Writing after Yoshiyasu's retirement, she recalled the glittering formal visits of the shogun and his entourage, as well as the passage of the seasons as seen from her apartments in the Yanagisawa mansion. In the Shelter of the Pine is a vivid portrait of a distant world and a vital addition to the canon of Japanese literature available in English.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 368 pages
\n Publication date: 29 June 2021
\n Publisher: Columbia University Press
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In the early eighteenth century, a noblewoman named Ōgimachi Machiko penned a memoir that delved into the life of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a powerful samurai for whom she had served as a concubine for twenty years. Machiko played a pivotal role in assisting Yoshiyasu in his ascent to the esteemed position of chief adjutant to the Tokugawa shogun. Through her efforts, she maintained his favor with the imperial court, facilitated his studies in poetry under the guidance of aristocratic teachers, and even had his compositions read by the retired emperor. Moreover, she bore two of his sons. Reflecting on her experiences after Yoshiyasu's retirement, Machiko vividly recalled the grandeur of the shogun's formal visits and the changing seasons as viewed from her apartments within the Yanagisawa mansion.

In the Shelter of the Pine stands as a remarkable testament to the literary prowess of a woman during Japan's early modern era. Machiko's keen eye for detail, commanding narrative voice, and elegant prose, interwoven with references to Chinese and Japanese classics, imbue this memoir with depth and richness. By drawing inspiration from The Tale of Genji, a seminal eleventh-century classic, Machiko showcases how this timeless work continued to resonate with its female readers, offering them a means to interpret and make sense of their own experiences. The result is a vivid portrayal of a distant world that seamlessly integrates into the esteemed canon of Japanese literature available in English.

\n Weight: 540g\n
Dimension: 155 x 233 x 24 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780231199513\n \n