Cultural historians Morgan Pitelka and Reiko Tanimura partner with one of Japan’s premier experts in calligraphy and letter writing, Takashi Masuda, to translate and annotate twenty-three unique letters from the Age of Unification and early Edo period alongside images of the hand-brushed originals. Included is a biography of each letter’s author and in some cases the addressee, the context for its writing, and descriptions of relevant locations, individuals, and historical events mentioned therein.