The Write Side of History: Tokugawa Letter
WORLDHISTORY PROJECT1750 / LESSON 1.6 OPENERTHE WRITE SIDE OF HISTORY: LETTERSUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “The Write Side of History:Letters”, OER Project, www.oerproject.com/Letter from Edo—Tokugawa JapanRespected Uncle,We delivered the new box set to Lord Ishida’s steward today. Father let me carry the smallest one, though I had to bow so low I nearly dropped it. The steward left a scroll with the clan’s seal—Father said to keep it in the records.On the way back, I slipped into the kabuki crowd. The actors were performing a story about a servant tricking his master—it made everyone laugh, even the samurai watching. I wonder what it’s like to speak that freely.There’s a new sign at the temple gate: more books banned. Someone whispered that foreign ideas are sneaking in with the Dutch traders. I’ve never seen one of the books, but I heard they talk about reason instead of duty.We say the world beyond our shores is closed. But I think it still leaks in—like light under a door.I made a quick sketch while waiting near the paper shop—the theater sign, the bridge, the lanterns. Father says it’s a waste of time, but I think it helps me see things more clearly.In service,–Haru