Walking the Kiso Road: William Scott Wilson

Walking the Kiso Road

William Scott Wilson

288pp

Just a short review of a book I read a few years back that I just heard the author speak about. (Books On Asia Podcast)

This was written by a master translator, William Scott Wilson, and is one of his few originally written efforts I believe. We have here the story of a man in Japan who walks the old Kiso road, a piece of the old road from Tokyo, through some of the Japan alps, stopping at old Ryokan Inns and trying to touch a bit of history along the way. 

I enjoyed it, 

I'd also say that it is reminiscent of Allan Booth, a writer who didn't write enough, so, for many people this will be a welcome walk. However, there are a bit too many asides for me (there must have been over 100 quotes in the 288pp work). In a sense I think Wilson was dong his best to stuff all the things he had read in Japanese (obviously dozens of accounts) into this singular English work. 

I'll probably give some of his history translations a try (lots of samurai goodness), and would call this good enough, especially being that it is the only source for this depth of English info in the topic.