A Great Classic of Japanese literature and the masterpiece of novelist Ihara Saikaku--now in a completely new and revised edition with introduction by noted scholar David J. Gundry The culmination of Saikaku's perceptive genius, the 20 short stories within This Scheming World recount raucous events and incidents on New Year's Eve as everyone tries to settle their debts for the year, as is the New Year's custom. Crafty money lenders attempt to collect their money from equally crafty debtors, and Saikaku portrays his characters with so lifelike a touch that, even though three centuries have passed since his time, it seems as if they were our contemporaries. The new Introduction by Saikaku expert David J. Gundry explains how and why this entertaining work still resonates with modern readers today. The finely-crafted tales include stories of: ・Philanderers who slip off to hide in the homes of their mistresses ・Hustlers who leave town suddenly on "very important" business trips ・Connivers who become actors for a day to hide-in-plain-sight on stage 井原西鶴、晩年の傑作『世間胸算用』の英訳版（各4章、全20編）