The Samurai - Everyday Life in Traditional Japan - page 37

(22) Puppet-show in a daimyō's residence.
ItmightbealittlecynicaltosuggestthattherarestentertainmentfortheShogun'scourt
was the annual visit from the head (or Captain) of the Dutch factory (trading post) in Na-
gasaki. This was seen partly as a favor to allow him to escape for a few weeks from his
narrow quarters, and partly, of course, as an opportunity to acquire some curious foreign
gifts. In 1691 a German doctor, Engelbert Kaempfer, was physician to the Dutch, and went
with them to Edo. He has left a vivid description of his journey, and of his audiences with
the Shogun. The first of these was formal, but, says, Kaempfer, for their second audience
they were
conductedthroughseveraldarkgalleries.Alongalltheseseveralgalleriestherewas
onecontinualrowoflifeguardmen,andnearertotheImperialapartmentsfollowed,
inthesamerow,somegreatofficersoftheCrown,wholinedthefrontofthehallof
theaudience,cladintheirgarmentsofceremony,bowingtheirheads,andsittingon
their heels. The hall of audience was just as I represented it in the Figure hereunto
annexed ( 23 ) . It consisted of several rooms, looking towards a middle place, some
of which were laid open towards the same, others covered by screens and lattices.
Some were of 15 mats, others of 18, and they were a mat higher or lower, accord-