Song of the Samurai


Book Description

Japan, 1745, is a land under the iron grip of the Tokugawa shoguns. Roads are monitored, dissent stifled, and order maintained through blackmail and an extensive network of informers. Amid rumors of rebellion, Kurosawa Kinko&– samurai and monk&– is expelled in disgrace as the head music instructor of his Zen temple in Nagasaki. He begins an odyssey across Japan, dogged by agents and assassins from an unknown foe. Along his journey, Kinko encounters a compelling cast of merchants, ronin, courtesans, spies, warriors, hermits, and spirits, on a quest to redeem his honor. Inspired by the life of the historical Kurosawa Kinko (1710-1771), master of the shakuhachi flute and founder of the Kinko-ryu school, Song of the Samurai takes the reader on a richly-textured exploration of feudal Japan and the complexities of the human spirit.




Samurai Song


Book Description




The Samurai's Song


Book Description

In the heart of a war-torn land, a young woman named Aiko leads a double life. By day, she embodies the grace and elegance of a geisha, her true warrior spirit hidden beneath layers of silk and captivating melodies. But beneath the façade burns a fire – a thirst for vengeance against the Kuroda clan, who brutally destroyed her village. Aiko's carefully constructed world shatters when she's invited to a prestigious tournament hosted by the ruthless Lord Kuroda. This isn't just a competition of artistic skills; it's a veiled display of power, a chance for the Kurodas to intimidate their rivals. But Aiko sees an opportunity. Using her geisha training as a disguise, she hatches a daring plan – to expose the Kurodas' atrocities during the tournament itself. Aiko's path is fraught with danger. She forms an unlikely alliance with Kaito, a young Kuroda samurai disillusioned by his own clan's cruelty. Together, they navigate a treacherous web of deceit and betrayal. As the tournament unfolds, Aiko's performance becomes a rebellion in itself, a poignant song laced with hidden messages that ignite a spark of defiance amongst the assembled dignitaries. The carefully orchestrated event explodes into chaos when Aiko's true identity is revealed. A breathtaking battle erupts, forcing her to confront Lord Kuroda in a duel that will decide the fate of her people. But Aiko is no longer just fighting for personal vengeance. Her bravery and sacrifice inspire others to join the fight, forging a fragile unity against the Kuroda tyranny. "Aiko, the Geisha Warrior" is a captivating tale of courage, sacrifice, and the unwavering spirit of rebellion. It explores themes of identity, deception, and the fight for justice. With its vivid descriptions of swordsmanship, political intrigue, and the captivating world of geishas, this story will enthrall readers who enjoy historical fantasy with a strong female protagonist.




Song of the Samurai: A Haiku Collection


Book Description

Will you step into My web? You will like it here. No one ever leaves There are some who believe that the honor of a samurai is reserved for men. But they are wrong. A daughter of a samurai picks up her father's sword and becomes a legend. Each stroke of the sword is as precise as the stroke of a brush. The haikus herein are spread across the eight-book epic saga Warrior Woman of the Samurai, but collected here for your enjoyment.




The Samurai Listener


Book Description

Justice, courage, loyalty, self-control: these are more than words limited to the study of ancient wars and the martial arts. They are essential to the workplace wars we face daily. So, what if you could use the way of the Samurai in your daily life—especially at work? The martial arts skills of the Samurai revolve around politeness, self-control, and honesty. By using these traits as business strategies, you will develop an especially powerful tool for dealing with the subtle attacks we often face from colleagues, clients, and others competing for control, eager to succeed at our expense. By learning how to recognize these attacks, you’ll be ready to handle unexpected challenges. And by mastering these techniques, you will become a more confident and effective leader. The Samurai Listener provides specific physical and mental exercises to improve all of your interpersonal interactions, particularly in professional settings. Cash Nickerson draws upon more than thirty years of experience in human resources, the workforce, and his training in the martial arts to offer expert instruction to help anyone eager to be more successful.




Jersey Rain


Book Description

Impassioned, Personal Poems From America's Poet Laureate "It spends itself regardless into the ocean. It stains and scours and makes things dark or bright: Sweat of the moon, a shroud of benediction, The chilly liquefaction of day to night, The Jersey rain, my rain, soaks all as one: It smites Metuchen, Rahway, Saddle River, Fair Haven, Newark, Little Silver, Bayonne. I feel it churning even in fair weather To craze distinction, dry the same as wet." --from "Jersey Rain" Jersey Rain--at once masterly and intimate--marks a fresh, lyrical stage of Robert Pinsky's work. Poems like "Samurai Song," "ABC," "Ode to Meaning," "To Television," and "The Green Piano" have already attracted a wide readership. Now, assembled in this book, they become part of a larger, fugue-like meditation on the themes of a life guided by Hermes: deity of music and deception, escort of the dead, inventor of instruments, the brilliant messenger and trickster of heaven.




A Sheep's Song


Book Description

In this critically acclaimed autobiography, cultural critic, novelist, and physician Kato Shuichi reconstructs his dramatic spiritual and intellectual journey from the militarist era of prewar Japan to the dynamic postwar landscapes of Japan and Europe. 13 photos.




Pink Samurai


Book Description

This extraordinary book reveals the exotic realm of the Water Trade--a world of bars and brothels, love hotels, baths and massage parlors, theaters and strip shows--and takes American readers on their first tour of Japan's sexual mores and practices. 8-page insert.




The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music


Book Description

Music is a frequently neglected aspect of Japanese culture. It is in fact a highly problematic area, as the Japanese actively introduced Western music into their modern education system in the Meiji period (1868-1911), creating westernized melodies and instrumental instruction for Japanese children from kindergarten upwards. As a result, most Japanese now have a far greater familiarity with Western (or westernized) music than with traditional Japanese music. Traditional or classical Japanese music has become somewhat ghettoized, often known and practised only by small groups of people in social structures which have survived since the pre-modern era. Such marginalization of Japanese music is one of the less recognized costs of Japan's modernization. On the other hand, music in its westernized and modernized forms has an extremely important place in Japanese culture and society, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, for example, being so widely known and performed that it is arguably part of contemporary Japanese popular and mass culture. Japan has become a world leader in the mass production of Western musical instruments and in innovative methodologies of music education (Yamaha and Suzuki). More recently, the Japanese craze of karaoke as a musical entertainment and as musical hardware has made an impact on the leisure and popular culture of many countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas. This is the first book to cover in detail all genres including court music, Buddhist chant, theatre music, chamber ensemble music and folk music, as well as contemporary music and the connections between music and society in various periods. The book is a collaborative effort, involving both Japanese and English speaking authors, and was conceived by the editors to form a balanced approach that comprehensively treats the full range of Japanese musical culture.




Sadness and Happiness


Book Description

From Sadness and Happiness: Poems by Robert Pinsky: CEREMONY FOR ANY BEGINNING Robert Pinsky ? Against weather, and the random Harpies--mood, circumstance, the laws Of biography, chance, physics-- The unseasonable soul holds forth, Eager for form as a renowned Pedant, the emperor's man of worth, Hereditary arbiter of manners. Soul, one's life is one's enemy. As the small children learn, what happens Takes over, and what you were goes away. They learn it in sardonic soft Comments of the weather, when it sharpens The hard surfaces of daylight: light Winds, vague in direction, like blades Lavishing their brilliant strokes All over a wrecked house, The nude wallpaper and the brute Intelligence of the torn pipes. Therefore when you marry or build Pray to be untrue to the plain Dominance of your own weather, how it keeps Going even in the woods when not A soul is there, and how it implies Always that separate, cold Splendidness, uncouth and unkind-- On chilly, unclouded mornings, Torrential sunlight and moist air, Leafage and solid bark breathing the mist.