James S. (James Seguin) De Benneville

James S. (James Seguin) De Benneville
James Seguin De Benneville (1867–1943) was an American author, translator, and physician known for his work on Japanese literature and folklore. He translated several important Japanese texts, including "Saito Musashi-bo Benkei" and "Tales of the Samurai," introducing Western audiences to Japanese history and legend. De Benneville had a deep fascination with Eastern philosophy and was proficient in multiple languages, which allowed him to produce detailed and culturally rich translations. His work played a crucial role in bridging the cultural gap between Japan and the West in the early 20th century.

Author's Books:


PREFACE In 1590 a.d. the Hōjō were overthrown at Odawara by the Taikō Hidéyoshi, and the provinces once under their sway were intrusted to his second in command, Tokugawa Iyeyasu. This latter, on removing to the castle of Chiyoda near Edo, at first paid main attention to strengthening his position in the military sense. From his fief in Tōtōmi and Suruga he had... more...

PREFACE Tales of the Tokugawa can well be introduced by two "wonder-stories" of Nippon. One of these, the Yotsuya Kwaidan, is presented in the present volume, not so much because of the incidents involved and the peculiar relation to a phase of Nipponese mentality, as from the fact that it contains all the machinery of the Nipponese ghost story. From this point of view the reading of one of... more...