Help Procuring "Go Rin No Sho" in Japanese

[Ian Remi]

Hi,

I'm looking at trying to find a copy of Go Rin No Sho by Myamoto Musashi in it's original language.

I don't read much Japanese (hiragana, katakana, kanji, ...) but would like to have a copy that I may, over the years, to come to slowly translate as I find and understand the kanji or have some friends (who have a much better command of the Japanese language) possibly help me with parts.

It would be a wonderful addition to my library but I'm not quite sure where to start looking, if it is available in different dialecs/versions, hard/soft cover, etc...

Any direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[Rennis]

I already added this in the thread about the Bantam version of "Gorin no Sho", but I'll post it again here as it makes more sense in this thread.

I would recomend Kodansha's latest translation of the "Book of Five Rings". It contains the original Japanese, modern Japanese translation by Matsumoto Michihiro and English translation by William Scott Wilson. It is set up so the Japanese (both) is on the left hand page and the English is on the right hand page, much like Obata's translation of the "Heiho Okugisho" (but with modern Japanese as well as classical). The first printing was last year, ISBN 4-7700-2844-X. It is, in my opinion, the best translation I have yet to come across and having the original Japanese right there makes it even better.

Amazon.com in both the US and Japan states that it will be available in May 2002, although I bought my copy in Kyoto last August, so I'm not sure exactly what the hold up is there.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...4537867-3143038

Best Regards,
Rennis Buchner

[Rennis]

Update on the Wilson translation. This is the version I am talking about...

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/477002844X/qid=1011383474/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_2_8/249-0125521-9024366

I half suspect that the version that is coming out in May of this year may not include the original Japanese as there are 31 less pages in that edition versus the one I bought in the link above. I guess we'll know for sure in May.

Rennis Buchner

[Ian Remi]

Thank you Rennis, It's much appreciated.

[fifthchamber]

Hello all,
It may be beside the point now...But if you have a lot of cash (or desire I guess) then it would be worth looking at; www.buyubooks.com and using their search engine for Gorin no Sho.
They are offering a set of the five scrolls fully reproduced in the scroll form and packaging for $850...A lot I know but it is a good set if you can afford it..Published by Kodansha a while back it looks beautiful and would allow the 'precise' Japanese of the original to be read...Nice to look at either way.
H.T.H.
Abayo.

[NumeroUno]

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