[3] The Japanese have only lately, however, made some acknowledgment of their debt to Hearn, and in an eight-page bibliography of the best books about Japan in the _Japan Year Book_ Murdoch's as yet unrivalled _History_ is not even mentioned. [4] _Ohyakusho_ must not be confused with _Oo-hyakusho_ or _Oo-byakusho_, which means a large farmer. _O_ is a polite prefix; _Oo_ or _O_ means large. [5] Horizontal wall writings. [6] About 35,000 copies of my two bilingual books were circulated. [7] With the backing of a London Committee composed of Lord Burnham, Sir G.W. Prothero, Mr. J. St. Loe Strachey and Mr. C.V. Sale. [8] Tenison, 1684. CONTENTS STUDIES IN A SINGLE PREFECTURE (AICHI) CHAPTER I. THE MERCY OF BUDDHA II. "GOOD PEOPLE ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY PRECAUTIOUS" III. EARLY-RISING SOCIETIES AND OTHER INGENUOUS ACTIVITIES IV. "THE SIGHT OF A GOOD MAN IS ENOUGH" V. COUNTRY-HOUSE LIFE VI. BEFORE OKUNITAMA-NO-MIKO-KAMI VII. OF "DEVIL-GON" AND YOSOGI THE MOST EXACTING CROP IN THE WORLD VIII. THE HARVEST FROM THE MUD IX. THE RICE BOWL, THE GODS AND THE NATION BACK TO FIRST PRINCIPLES: THE APOSTLE AND THE ARTIST X. A TROUBLER OF ISRAEL XI. THE IDEA OF A GAP ACROSS JAPAN (TOKYO TO NIIGATA AND BACK) XII. TO THE HILLS (TOKYO, SAITAMA, TOCHIGI AND FUKUSHIMA) XIII. THE DWELLERS IN THE HILLS (FUKUSHIMA) XIV. SHRINES AND POETRY (NIIGATA AND TOYAMA) XV. THE NUN'S CELL (NAGANO) IN AND OUT OF THE SILK PREFECTURE XVI. PROBLEMS BEHIND THE PICTURESQUE (SAITAMA, GUMMA, NAGANO AND YAMANASHI) XVII. THE BIRTH, BRIDAL AND DEATH OF THE SILK-WORM (NAGANO) XVIII. "GIRL COLLECTORS" AND FACTORIES (NAGANO AND YAMANASHI) XIX. "FRIEND-LOVE-SOCIETY'S" GRIM TALE FROM TOKYO TO THE NORTH BY THE WEST COAST XX. "THE GARDEN WHERE VIRTUES ARE CULTIVATED" (FUKUSHIMA AND YAMAGATA) XXI. THE "TANOMOSHI" (YAMAGATA) BACK AGAIN BY THE EAST COAST XXII. "BON" SONGS AND THE SILENT PRIEST (YAMAGATA, AKITA, AOMORI, IWATE, MIYAGI, FUKUSHIMA AND IBARAKI) XXIII. A MIDNIGHT TALK THE ISLAND OF SHIKOKU XXIV. LANDLORDS, PRIESTS AND "BASHA" (TOKUSHIMA, KOCHI AND KAGAWA) XXV. "SPECIAL TRIBES" (EHIME) XXVI. THE STORY OF THE BLIND HEADMAN (EHIME) THE SOUTH-WEST OF JAPAN XXVII. UP-COUNTRY ORATORY (YAMAGUCHI) XXVIII. MEN, DOGS AND SWEET POTATOES (SHIMANE) XXIX. FRIENDS OF LAFCADIO HEARN (SHIMANE, TOTTORI AND HYOGO) TWO MONTHS IN TEMPLE (NAGANO) XXX. THE LIFE OF THE PEASANTS AND THEIR PRIESTS XXXI. "BON" SEASON SCENES IN AND OUT OF THE TEA PREFECTURE XXXII. PROGRESS OF SORTS (SHIDZUOKA AND KANAGAWA) XXXIII. GREEN TEA AND BLACK (SHIDZUOKA) EXCURSIONS FROM TOKYO XXXIV. A COUNTRY DOCTOR AND HIS NEIGHBOURS (CHIBA) XXXV. THE HUSBANDMAN, THE WRESTLER AND THE CARPENTER (SAITAMA, GUMMA AND TOKYO)