Yashiro (in Oiso) to Bernard Berenson

1017 Oiso, Japan
Oct 8th 

Dear B.B.,

I should have written to you long ago, but as I told you before, I fell ill soon after my return to Japan from U.S. & have not recovered yet. The high blood pressure is very difficult to cure & I am still keeping quiet. Any mental exertion I have to refrain from as much as I can & that is the reason why I have not written to you so long. But fortunately I am recovering little by little.

Meanwhile my pupil Mr. Fukumatsu Miwa went to Italy & now he must be in Rome. Italian government began to give fellowship for Italian studies to Japanese students & I recommended Miwa [&] he was successful to get it. Miwa is not so terribly brilliant as a scholar, but he is serious in his studies. As he seems to have corresponded with you about his translation of your book on Self portrait, & you know him, I did not give him my card of introduction. But I have encouraged him to call on you. His stay in Italy is altogether one year & I do not [know] how long he can stay in Florence. While he is there please allow him to make use of your library & photographs.

About the translation of your Italian Painters, it is going on, but very slowly, which seems to be irritating to Horovitz & to me too. The case is Japanese government insists to put income tax on the printed plates to be sent by, Horovitz & our publisher is now negotiating with our tax office. I think it would be decided anyway in a future not very far, so please do have a little patience & wait. After the tax question is over, anything will go on pretty quickly, because I have decided on most reliable translators.

Your ever faithful pupil,

Yukio Yashiro

Please give my love to Nicky Mariano.