On Foot Along the Tokaido Road

The creator of «On Foot Along the Tokaido Road», the Japanese writer Jippensha Ikku (1765–1831), was one of the most famous literati of his time, and this book — the main work of his life — became a true bestseller.... It tells the story of the journey of two carefree friends, Yaji and Kita, through Japan in the distant year of 1802. Along the way, they experience incredible pleasures and overcome countless hardships, observe breathtaking landscapes, and find themselves in amusing predicaments. Most importantly, they meet an endless procession of «wanderers on the roads of Japan» — samurai, commoners, pilgrims, coachmen, merchants, joyous girls, con artists of all kinds, and many others, through whom the heroes, and subsequently the readers, get acquainted with the diversity of life against the backdrop of the vast panorama of the country.
The book is equipped with detailed comments, indices, and richly illustrated by the author himself — Jippensha Ikku.