Essays in Idleness

Tsurezuregusa is one of the representative works of medieval Japanese literature and, together with The Pillow Book and Hōjōki, is counted among Japan's three great collections of essays. This collection of essays by Yoshida Kenkō (Kenkō Hōshi), a poet and recluse of the late Kamakura and Nanboku-chō periods, retains its charm undiminished after seven hundred years, thanks to its distinctive view of impermanence, its keen insight into the ways of the world, and its plain, philosophically rich brushwork. The book consists of a preface and 243 reflections of varying length, encompassing everything from the scenery of the four seasons, the flavors of human life, and anecdotes of the nobility to Buddhist doctrine and maxims for living. Though seemingly written offhand ("tsurezure" means idle or random jotting), it in fact distills the author's profound reflections on life, beauty, and nothingness after he turned from court service to a life of seclusion. Its style is concise and restrained, its mood subtle and profound, combining classical elegance with a detached, faintly ironic clarity. This edition from Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd., usually translated from an authoritative Japanese critical text, strives to convey the archaic elegance and wit of the original and includes detailed notes, making it a reliable way for Chinese readers to appreciate this Japanese classic in depth. For modern readers it is less a book of aphorisms offering answers than a mirror held up to inner turmoil; in fragmented reading, an occasional passage often prompts quiet observation and reflection on one's own life.