Professor Aston's A History of Japanese Literature has a permanent place on the bookshelves of all lovers of Japan. William George Aston, who pioneered in the translation of Japanese literature into English, made many original contributions to Japanese studies. His writing is fresh and informative.

The periods reviewed range from the ancient days, when Japan's history was just dawning, to the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when all aspects of Japanese life were being transformed. No aspect of Japanese culture escaped modification or change after Meiji, but Aston is mainly concerned with the profound literary heritage of Japan before Westernization.

A long-time resident of Japan, who was intimately acquainted with Japanese books and scholars, he used the unique opportunities of his life to make available to English Readers the new world of Japanese literature. His scholarship is vast, yet he never loses the human touch, and he is always easy to read.