Shanks Mare: Japan's Great Comic Novel of Travel & Ribaldry

Shank's Mare (Hizakurige) follows two amiable scoundrels, Yajirobei and Kitahachi, on a madcap journey of adventure and misadventure along the great highway leading from Tokyo to Kyoto. The lusty tale of their disreputable doings is Japan's most celebrated comic novel. Issued serially in 1802, Hizakurige was a tremendous success both with readers of its own time and with later generations. The book's earthy humor typifies the brash and devil-may-care attitude of the residents of Tokyo, both then and now.