This is the intimate and richly informative diary kept in 1910 by the young Wife of a bustling Merchant household in Kyoto.
About the Author: Kazuko Smith is a retied Lecturer in the Japanese Language Program of Cornell University..
Hers is a compelling voice.
Makiko herself emerges as an engaging young woman, displaying flashes of sly humor, anger, sarcasm, and self-pity to temper her usual cheerfulness, eagerness to please, and determination to become a better person.
Makiko\'s Diary differs in that it is a spirited, first-hand account of the domestic world of a housewife, the role played by the vast majority of Japanese women.
Almost all of the Japanese women whose accounts of family life are available in English were members of the elite or individuals who distinguish themselves in public life or in the arts.
Makiko writes perceptively about both special occasions (such as weddings, funerals, ancestral memorial services, and festivals) and the daily routine of the complex household.
Makiko\'s husband was the had of his family\'s pharmaceutical business, and because the store and the family\'s living quarters were under one roof, it was a very busy place.
This is the intimate and richly informative diary kept in 1910 by the young Wife of a bustling Merchant household in Kyoto
