
audiobook
PREFACE.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
A MURAMASA BLADE. - INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
In the hush of Japan’s feudal age, a tale unfolds that feels as if it were whispered by a traveling storyteller beside a lantern’s glow. The narrative follows the legendary swordsmith Muramasa, whose blades are said to carry the weight of gods and the destiny of samurai, while remaining grounded in the everyday rhythms of village life. Richly detailed scenes— from the clang of the forge to the quiet prayers of peasants—paint a world where honor and hardship walk side by side.
The narrator, a wandering observer, finds brief refuge in the modest hut of an aging jinrikisha driver, whose simple home reveals a startling cleanliness amid poverty. Through this intimate encounter, listeners glimpse the stark contrast between the humble lives of laborers and the grand ambitions of dukes and warlords who seek Muramasa’s steel. As the blade is forged and presented, the story sets the stage for loyalties to be tested and honor to be measured, promising a compelling journey through Japan’s layered society.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (205K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Boston: Ticknor and Company, 1887.
Credits
Mary Glenn Krause and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2024-01-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1820–1893
An Austrian-born writer and art commentator who spent years in Meiji Japan, he brought Western readers vivid accounts of Japanese art and culture. His best-known novel, A Muramasa Blade, reflects that close engagement with Japan in the late 19th century.
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