午夜剧场

This book is the first Japanese translation of "Formosa," known as a curious and eccentric work. The original was published in London in 1704. As the subtitle suggests, the main content is the "geographical history of Taiwan and Japan," but it is certainly not a record of field research by the author, Psalmanazar (a pseudonym). Psalmanazar gathered information about Taiwan and Japan circulating in Europe at the time to elaborately construct a country called "Formosa," and then falsely claimed that he was born and raised there before traveling to Europe and converting to the Church of England. Since the facts of his biography suggest he was from southern France and traveled across Europe before appearing in London as a convert to the Church of England, the trajectory of his conversion seen in the latter half of this book could be called autobiographical. This strange book took London and Europe by storm in the early 18th century. The Royal Society, with Newton as its president, invited him to a dissertation hearing, where Edmond Halley, the discoverer of Halley's Comet, and others questioned his authenticity as a Formosan, but his deceptive skills only grew more refined. Psalmanazar even calmly taught a language called "Formosan" at Oxford University.

While this book is full of such fiction, it is impossible to dismiss everything as mere "make-believe." The information about Formosa that Psalmanazar gathered is itself a mix of truth and falsehood, and the doctrinal disputes surrounding his conversion are quite vivid as expressions of his frank opinions. When an Englishman says that an emperor was once assassinated in Formosa and that "such cruelty is utterly unbelievable," Psalmanazar retorts by mentioning the execution of Charles I, saying, "It is the same in your country." Readers might find themselves applauding him. Published amidst the emergence of early modern novels such as "Robinson Crusoe" and "Gulliver's Travels," this book highlights the subtle boundary between fact and fiction, and between what is believed to be fact and human imagination/creativity. The reality of this book, both a curious work and a forgery, shines precisely on that boundary line, and that is what continues to fascinate modern readers.

Translated by Noriyuki Harada

Heibonsha Library

424 pages, 1,980 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.