Tales of old Japan ; Vol. II / by A. B. Mitford.

For many Britons, Tales of Old Japan provided the first glimpse of Japanese life beyond government accounts. While serving as an interpreter at the British Legation in Japan, Mitford recorded folk tales as well as customs such as marriage ceremonies, ritual suicide and sword-making. Heavily edited to appeal to western audiences, his Tales presented a romantic view of ‘Old Japan’ untouched by modernisation.