American Stories

"American Stories" is based on Nagai Kafu's sojourn from Japan to Michigan, Washington State, and New York City in the early years of the twentieth century. Like Tocqueville a century before him, Kafu casts a fresh, keen eye on a vibrant and diverse America, painting a broad portrait of the challenges of American life for the poor, the foreign born, and the disaffected. Many vignettes involve encounters with fellow Japanese or Chinese immigrants. Mitsuko Iriye's introduction provides important cultural and biographical background and literary analysis to fully appreciate the intellectual and artistic achievements of Kafu's collection.