There are lots of books about Sakamoto Ryōma.* There are more than thirty volumes in one of the bookshelves in my personal library. And there are a lot more to be found in bookstores, and public and university libraries. During the thirty years that I’ve been researching and writing about Ryōma, my favorite books about him are the five mentioned below. I have chosen them for their originality, scholarship, and overall readability, and also for their great value to me as a writer.
Miyaji Saichiro, ed. Sakamoto Ryoma Zenshu. Tokyo: Kofusha, 1982: The collection of Ryōma-related documents, including letters written and received by him, letters written by others concerning him, other documents either written by or attributed to him, and much, much more, all of which is meticulously annotated. A must for all researchers and students of the life and times of Sakamoto Ryōma, compiled, edited and annotated by my revered late mentor and friend.
Matsuoka Mamoru.
Teihon Sakamoto Ryoma-den. Tokyo: Shinjinbutsu Oraisha, 2003: Of the many biographies I have read or referred to, this fairly recent one is the most comprehensive and perhaps most painstaking. As indicated by its title, it is the definitive biography, and a truly remarkable work of scholarship and writing by a Tosa historian whom I am proud to call a personal friend.
Omino Kiyoharu.
Sakamoto Ryōma to Token. Tokyo: Shinjinbutsu Oraisha, 1995: A scholarly collection of extremely interesting essays focusing on the significance of the Japanese sword in Ryōma’s life. As with other works by this fine author and Ryōma scholar, who is also an accomplished sword appraiser and polisher, this penetrating study of Ryōma is exceptionally original, and written in concise, easy-to-read language. I am proud to call Mr. Omino a personal friend.
Hirao Michio.
Sakamoto Ryōma: Kaientai Shimatsuki. Tokyo: Chuokoronsha, 1976: This exceptional biography is standard reading for all students of the life and times of Sakamoto Ryōma. It must be one of the most widely read books by an important and prolific writer who might be called the “godfather” of Tosa historians during the twentieth century.
Shiba Ryōtarō. Ryōma ga Yuku (vols 1-8). Tokyo: Bungei Shunshu, 1975: This masterpiece by a prolific historical novelist immortalized Sakamoto Ryōma in the psyche of the Japanese people. Originally published in serial form in the national newspaper Sankei Shimbun in 1962, this epic of the life and times of Sakamoto Ryōma comprises eight paperback volumes in its current printed form.
Almost all books about Sakamoto Ryoma are in Japanese. The only two that I know of which are not are my novel, Ryoma Life of a Renaissance Samurai, and Marius B. Jansen’s biography, Sakamoto Ryōma and the Meiji Restoration.
