Narushima Ryà «hoku (æÂÂ島æ³åÂÂ, 1837âÂÂ1884) was a Japanese author and scholar born in Asakusa. His given name was Korehiro (æÂÂå¼Â). The Narushima family were okujusha (奥åÂÂè ), or Confucian tutors to the Tokugawa shà Âguns, who were also involved in editing the Tokugawa jikki (å¾·å·Â實ç´Â) and other historical annals, including the Nochikagami (å¾ÂéÂÂ). Ryuhoku participated in these editing projects as a young man.
He served as tutor to the shoguns Tokugawa Iesada and Iemochi but was, according to some theories, dismissed because he wrote a poem critical of the fact that his recommendations had not been adopted. At that time he took up Western studies. During the Keià  period (1866âÂÂ68) he served in the shogun's cavalry and also briefly as Minister of Foreign Affairs. After the Meiji Restoration, he took up a position with the Higashi Honganji Temple, which sponsored a tour for him and four other men to Europe and the United States in 1872âÂÂ73.
Soon after his return to Japan, Ryuhoku became the editor of the Chà Âya Shinbun (æÂÂéÂÂæ°èÂÂ), and also founded the literary journal Kagetsu shinshi (è±æÂÂæ°èªÂ). In 1876, he was imprisoned for four months when he ran afoul of the Meiji government's press laws. After his release, he published an essay entitled "Gokunaibanashi" (ãÂÂãÂÂå ã°ãªãÂÂ). He had a very critical attitude towards the great functionaries of Satsuma and Chà Âshà «, who although vassals of the former shogunate, were then acting pretentiously in their new roles as leaders of the Meiji government. In protest, he declared that "I will become a useless person between natures," and started to write satire.
Ryuhoku's most famous work is Ryà «kyà  Shinshi (æ³æ©Âæ°èªÂ), or "New Chronicles of Yanagibashi", the first volume of which he began writing in 1859, and the second volume of which he began writing in 1871. The work concerns the world of the pleasure quarters of Yanagibashi, humorously depicting cultural shifts from the Edo period to the Meiji period. Kà Âsei Nichijà  (èª西æÂ¥ä¹Â), or "Diary of a Journey to the West", is the travelogue he wrote during his journey to Europe and the United States in 1872âÂÂ73.