In this series, we will read "The Strange Tale of a Kingdom" from the beginning and introduce it to modern readers in language that is easy to understand. We will not add any explanations beyond the original text, but we will provide brief annotations for words necessary for understanding. We will not publish the original images or PDFs.

Part 1

On October 1st, in the third year of Bunsei, at seven o'clock in the evening, Adachi Rinchi visited and said:

"A boy who was apparently lured by what are called tengu and had been their servant for a long time has come to Yamazaki Misato. I heard that he is talking about things he saw and experienced in that world, and many of the things he says align with theories I have been considering and writing down for some time. I am planning to go to Misato's place and meet this boy. Would you like to join me?"

I have always wanted to meet such people and hear their stories in detail, so I was very happy. Just then, I told my friends who were about to leave that "I'll be back," and went with them to see Misato.

Misaki is a medicine merchant named Nagasakaya Shinbei. He used to be my student, but later became a disciple of Takada Yoshikiyo, and now he studies under Yoroi Oei, preferring to read widely. His home is located in Shitagoya Chojamachi, which is about seven or eight blocks from where I currently live, at the foot of the male slope of Tushima Tenjin Shrine. Yoroi Oei's house and Misaki's house are about four or five blocks apart.

Now, during the journey, I asked Mr. Yadai.

"The person who is invited by God has a vague and unclear way of speaking. Especially, they hide things about that world and do not speak clearly about it. But what about that boy?"

The old man answered like this.

"The stories I hear about people who were invited by God are usually like this, but it seems that the boy doesn't hide his story. Even when he went to the Oikawa family, he said he had gone to countries far in the west and even seen the Kalinaga, and imitated its sound for them. According to Michinari, I heard that recently there have been people who were also invited to that world, and they are talking about it openly. It seems that before, they disliked having things about that world become known, but lately, they haven't been hiding anything. Please inquire carefully and make sure to write down everything you remember."

I understand.

And, in my heart, I thought this: Even now, looking at the state of the world, things that were once deeply hidden are often revealed to the public. The path to the realm of the gods, which was difficult to know, is gradually becoming clear, and foreign objects and various tools have become known through the years. All of these are due to God's will. Perhaps a certain momentum has come for us to understand even things in that world. While I continued to think such things, I soon arrived at Misato's house.

At a convenient time, my husband called the boy over and introduced him to us. However, the boy only stared intently at both of us, without even attempting a greeting. When Misaki, who was standing nearby, told him to greet us, he gave a very awkward greeting.

The boy was an ordinary child, not much different from other children. He was fifteen years old, but he looked about thirteen. His eyes were what physiognomists call "lower white," meaning the whites of his eyes were larger than normal. They had a certain brilliance, and his overall facial features were unusual. When examining his pulse and abdomen, I found that his lower abdomen was firm and strong.

Of the three pulse locations examined, the Cun point's pulse was very thin and resembled the pulse of a child aged six or seven.

The boy was the second son of a man named Koshuya Yosonjiro, who lived in Shitamachi's Nanakanmachi district. His name was Toraichi. He was born at 7:00 AM on the last day of December in the Year of the Tiger (Bunka 3), and because both the year and the time were the Year of the Tiger, he was given that name. His father had passed away three years ago. Afterwards, his older brother, Shoji, who is eighteen years old this year, has been doing a little business to support their mother and younger siblings, and they are living a modest life.

Regarding Toraichi's parents and older brother, I later visited their home to learn more details and wrote them down. Also, according to my mother, when Toraichi was around five or six years old, he occasionally predicted things that had not yet happened.

In the year [Cultural Era] in the month of [Month], there was a fire in Shitaguro-koji. The day before, Toraichi was on the roof of our house and said, "There will be a fire in Shitaguro-koji." People asked him how he knew that, since nothing seemed amiss. He replied, "Why can't everyone see the flames? They should escape quickly." People thought he was crazy, but indeed, the next night, there was a fire in Shitaguro-koji.

Another time, he told my father, "Be careful tomorrow; you will be injured." My father didn't take him seriously, but it turned out that he did have an injury. On another occasion, he said, "A thief will definitely break in tonight," so my father scolded him and told him not to say such things. However, a thief actually broke in.

He also remembered the time when he was still unable to stand properly and could only crawl around, and sometimes talked about it. He had a congenital condition that caused diarrhea, and as a young child, his complexion was pale, and he often suffered from stomachaches or bedwetting, so people thought he might not grow up. My mother said that Toraichi told her, "I was injured by a car, but I'm glad I didn't have any fights," and she also mentioned that "since returning from his travels this year, he has become very healthy."

Because it was strange that he knew things that had not yet happened, I later asked Toraichi how he knew. Here is the story he told me. When the fire broke out in Shitaguro-koji, he saw flames rising from the area that would be burned the next day while he was on the roof of our house. As for knowing about my father's injury and the thief breaking in, it seemed like a voice whispering in his ear, and that voice said things like "Your father will be injured tomorrow" or "A thief will break in tonight." He didn't know directly; he just repeated what he heard.

Now, Torigichi stared intently at my face, a smile on his lips, and repeatedly said in an unexpected manner, "You are God." I was speechless due to the strangeness of his words, when Torigichi said, "You must be someone who believes in and studies the way of God."

Misato said from beside him, "This is Professor Hirata. He teaches Shinto in the field of ancient studies." In response, Toraji smiled and said, "I really thought that was the case."

I was first surprised, and I asked.

"How can you know that? Is learning about the way of God a good thing, or a bad thing?"

Torigichi answered.

"I said that because I somehow felt that you might believe in God. There is no path as noble as the way of God, so believing in it is a very good thing."

There, Oyada-sensei asked, "What did you think of me?" Then, Torigichi thought for a while and said the following.

"You also believe in the way of God, but besides that, I suppose you are engaged in various and extensive fields of study."

"I do not wish to be called a god, nor do I desire the name of Buddha; all I want is to know how to become a good person." -- Yada Oekisama.

This was the first thing that surprised me about this young boy.