101 Letters of Hideyoshi: The Private Correspondence of Toyotomi HideyoshiEdited by Adriana Boscaro
Translated by Adriana Boscaro

Excerpt

In his A History of Japan, 1334-1615, first published in 1961, the eminent historian Sir George Sansom wrote, ‘A large number of Hideyoshi’s notes and letters have been preserved, and of these twenty or more furnish valuable historical evidence. Their chief interest, however, is in the aspects of his character which they reveal. In this they are exceptional, for private correspondence in Japan is generally reserved and discreet and does not disclose intimate feelings.’ Sansom went on to observe that all of Hideyoshi’s letters ‘are worth careful study.’

Despite their obvious importance, however, only very few of Hideyoshi’s personal letters have so far appeared in English. In 101 Letters of Hideyoshi, Adriana Boscaro presents an edited translation of Hideyoshi’s entire extant private correspondence, from which emerges an intimate and fascinating portrait of one of the best-known personalities in Japanese history.

1975. xviii + 114 pages.
Paperback. [Out of print]