Vol. 5 · No. 1

Susanna Fessler

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Abstract

In 1893, a young writer named Tokutomi Kenjirö (pen name Roka, 1868–1927) set off from Tokyo on a few days' journey to the Ryömö region in the western mountains of central Japan. This in itself was unremarkable, as countless others had made similar journeys before. What was noteworthy was the travelogue he produced as a result of this trip. A fascinating mix of tradition and modernity, this travelogue shows us how travel writing in Japan metamorphosed during the late nineteenth century into a unique subgenre that incorporated both Japanese and Western sensibilities.