Ancient China is illustriously brought to life in these folk tales,
legends, and stories of historical figures that routinely rank alongside
such Japanese literary classics as "Rashomon" by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and
Kokoro by Natsume Soseki. When they first appeared in Japanese
periodicals in 1942 and 1943, they sparked a potentially rich and long
career for author Atsushi Nakajima, who tragically died of asthma
complicated by severe pneumonia shortly thereafter, but whose work has
continued to grow in Japanese regard ever since. This collection marks
the first time these works have been translated into English.