The architectural style of Japanese buildings can still be seen in many of the temples from the period. The entire Daidairi would have been built this way, with the gracefully curved roofs, either covered with greenish blue glazed tiles or, like the imperial palace, with a dark bark roof. The buildings were always of wood, constructed with huge pillars resting on large flat stones. Floors were raised above ground, verandas surrounded them, and the large interior spaces could be separated into rooms by movable walls and screens. Doors were solid or shuttered, and when they stood open, reed shades could be lowered for privacy. This construction method made even the largest and most elaborate buildings subject to destruction by fire or earthquake, but they had the advantage of being easy to rebuild or move. In fact, the Japanese repeatedly moved their entire capital from one place to another when it seemed advantageous.
The nobility lived in large mansions, sometimes occupying whole city blocks, which were walled and gated and consisted of a main house with galleries leading to wings and to separate pavilions. They had elaborate gardens in the back and service areas in the front.
Ordinary people lived in much simpler abodes. Here again there is little information. In my books, any references to their dwellings are based on pictures from later periods.
This particular novel contains several terms that may need special explanation. The idea that life in this world is a “floating bridge,” i.e. immaterial and transitory, is based on Buddhist teachings, another import from China. The concepts of hell and paradise are also derived from this faith, which coexisted with the native Shinto religion. The religious figures in this novel are all Buddhist: Abbot Genshin and Nun Seikan have renounced the world, i.e. chosen a life of poverty and celibacy in order to worship Buddha. The young woman Sadako was briefly a nun, having been forced to withdraw from the world because of her husband’s capital crime. Choosing a religious life as a rule protected people from harsh sentences and confiscation of property. Genshin had made this choice in his youth.
Medical knowledge in the eleventh century was fairly primitive and consisted mainly of prescribing herbal medicines, acupuncture, and moxa treatments. Medical practitioners could come from different backgrounds, being frequently monks or pharmacists, but the Imperial University also trained physicians.
The issue of money is a troublesome one for anyone writing fiction set in eleventh century Japan. Most scholarly texts assure us that Japan had a rice economy; i.e. rice was used in a barter system. In fact, other valuable things, like rolls of silk or horses, could also be used to pay bills, reward people, or present as gifts. Officials were paid by being given rice farms for their livelihood, and a man’s wealth was judged by how many manors and rice fields he owned. Rice could also be given as a loan against future harvests, when it had to be repaid with interest. Monasteries and temples were in the rice lending business. But actual money existed and came in the form of coins that were copper, silver, or gold. Gold and silver bars were also available. Men must have been provided with some ready cash for daily expenses. Japan imported coins from China, but it also pursued gold and silver mining aggressively. On the other hand, there is no evidence that moneylenders like Nakamura and Saito existed in the eleventh century. They became common later.
About the Author
I.J. Parker was born and educated in Europe and turned to mystery writing after an academic career in the U.S. She has published her Akitada stories in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, winning the Shamus award in 2000. Several stories have also appeared in collections, such as Fifty Years of Crime and Suspense and the recent Shaken. The award-winning “Akitada’s First Case” is available as a podcast. Many of the stories have been collected in Akitada and the Way of Justice.
The Akitada series of crime novels features the same protagonist, an eleventh century Japanese nobleman/detective. Death on an Autumn River is number nine. The books are available on Kindle. Many are also in print in audio format and have been translated into twelve languages.
Also by I. J. Parker
The Akitada series in chronological order
The Dragon Scroll
Rashomon Gate
Black Arrow
Island of Exiles
The Hell Screen
The Convict’s Sword
The Masuda Affair
The Fires of the Gods
Death on an Autumn River
The Emperor’s Woman
Death of a Doll Maker
The Crane Pavilion
The collected stories
Akitada and the Way of Justice
The HOLLOW REED SAGA
Dream of a Spring Night
Dust before the Wind
The Sword Master
The Left-Handed God
Contact Information
Please visit I.J.Parker’s web site here.
You may contact her via e-mail at Heianmys@aol.com. (This way you will be contacted when new books come out.)
Books may be ordered from Amazon and Barnes&Noble in print and as e-books. The novels are on Kindle here. The short stories are on Kindle and Nook. Please do post Amazon reviews. They help sell books and keep Akitada novels coming.
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Table of Contents
Praise for I. J. Parker and the Akitada series
Pronunciation of Japanese Words
Characters
1 Koshiro
2 The Sadness of Autumn
3 A Conspiracy
4 The Old Professor
5 The Student
6 Murder in a Bathhouse
7 The Caretaker and the Artist
8 Talk of the Town
9 The Tides of Life
10 The Moneylenders
11 Fire in a Jar
12 The Blind Girl
13 A Hopeless Case
14 Gossip in the Bath
15 In Disgrace
16 The Gamblers
17 The Nun
18 A Tiger in the Dark
19 The Dance of the Cranes
20 Lady Akiko’s News
21 Arrest
22 An Old Acquaintance
23 A Good Name is Forever
24 The Search
25 Phoenix
26 Walk into Danger
27 Rising Mist
28 Twilight before the Dark
29 Kobe Risks All
30 The Quiet Sadness of Autumn Rain
31 The Bridge of Dreams
32 A Lotus Flower in the Mud
33 The Lady of the Crane Pavilion
34 Senior Secretary Soga
HISTORICAL NOTE
About the Author
Also by I. J. Parker
Contact Information