Saturday, January 14, 2023

152 - Yasumori Negishi

【根岸鎮衛、negishi yasumori】

He was a magistrate in the southern part of Edo (present-day Tokyo) and is known as the author of "Earmuffs (Mimi-bukuro)", a collection of folk anecdotes and rumors.

He was born in Genbun 2 (1737) as the third son of Sadahiro Yasuki, a retainer of the shogunate. In Houreki 8 (1758), he was adopted by Morinori Negishi and later became a treasurer.

In 1784, he was appointed magistrate of Sado. Yasumori, who had always enjoyed writing, began recording stories he learned from acquaintances and rumors in the town so that he would not forget them. After serving as chief treasurer, he was appointed magistrate of Minamimachi in Kansei 10 (1798).

It was an exceptional career move for a person of his time to rise from the ranks of a vassal to that of a magistrate, and his character earned him the reputation of being a great magistrate. In fact, Yasumori was capable and good-natured, and excelled at bringing out the best in others.


Earmuffs has ten volumes in total and contains many anecdotes and colorful stories, however, it was written solely for his own enjoyment, and despite including tales of ghosts and youkai, it seems that Yasumori himself did not believe in the existence of such things.

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