Hokuetsu Seppu
Encyclopedia
Hokuetsu Seppu is a late Edo-period
encyclopedic work of human geography
describing life in the Uonuma
area of Japan
's old Echigo Province
, a place known for its long winters and deep snow.
First published in Edo
in 1837, Hokuetsu Seppu was written by (1770–1842), a textile merchant and leading townsman of Shiozawa
, a settlement on the old Mikuni Highway. The work, an immediate best seller that eventually encompassed seven chapters when a second volume was published in 1842, covers a wide range of local topics from the varieties of snow to the customs, lifestyles, local dialects, industries, and folk tales
of Japan's snow country
. The text covers 123 themes from multiple angles and is also richly illustrated with detailed sketches.
—a gesaku
writer and brother of Santō Kyōden
—assisted with publication of the text. He wrote the preface and drew the illustrations, which were based on Bokushi's originals.
Some of the material in the book is of scientific interest. For example, it contains
the first Japanese sketches of 86 types of natural snow
flake crystal
s. An 1840 edition included an additional 97 sketches that Doi Toshitsura
made with the aid of a microscope
during his 20 years as daimyō
of the Koga Domain
. Thereafter, the snow crystal became a popular design motif on kimono
s and on chawan
, Japanese tea bowls.
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
encyclopedic work of human geography
Human geography
Human geography is one of the two major sub-fields of the discipline of geography. Human geography is the study of the world, its people, communities, and cultures. Human geography differs from physical geography mainly in that it has a greater focus on studying human activities and is more...
describing life in the Uonuma
Minamiuonuma District, Niigata
is a district located in Niigata, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 72,908 and a density of 77.41 persons per km². The total area is 941.82 km².- Mergers :...
area of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's old Echigo Province
Echigo Province
was an old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It was sometimes called , with Echizen and Etchū Provinces. Today the area is part of Niigata Prefecture, which also includes the island which was the old Sado Province. This province was the northernmost part of the...
, a place known for its long winters and deep snow.
First published in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
in 1837, Hokuetsu Seppu was written by (1770–1842), a textile merchant and leading townsman of Shiozawa
Shiozawa, Niigata
Shiozawa was a town located in Minamiuonuma District, Niigata, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 20,142 and a density of 105.94 persons per km². The total area was 190.12 km²....
, a settlement on the old Mikuni Highway. The work, an immediate best seller that eventually encompassed seven chapters when a second volume was published in 1842, covers a wide range of local topics from the varieties of snow to the customs, lifestyles, local dialects, industries, and folk tales
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of Japan's snow country
Snow country (Japan)
Snow country refers to areas in Japan characterized by heavy, long-lasting snowfalls....
. The text covers 123 themes from multiple angles and is also richly illustrated with detailed sketches.
—a gesaku
Gesaku
is an alternative style, genre or school of Japanese literature. In the simplest contemporary sense, any literary work of a playful, mocking, joking, silly or frivolous nature may be called Gesaku. Unlike predecessors in the literary field, Gesaku writers did not strive for beauty and perfect...
writer and brother of Santō Kyōden
Santo Kyoden
was a Japanese poet, writer and artist in the Edo period. His real name was , and he was also known popularly as . He is the brother of Santō Kyōzan.- Life :...
—assisted with publication of the text. He wrote the preface and drew the illustrations, which were based on Bokushi's originals.
Some of the material in the book is of scientific interest. For example, it contains
the first Japanese sketches of 86 types of natural snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
flake crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
s. An 1840 edition included an additional 97 sketches that Doi Toshitsura
Doi Toshitsura
was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Koga Domain. He served as a rōjū in the Tokugawa shogunate.-References:* Bolitho, Harold. . Treasures Among Men: The Fudai Daimyo in Tokugawa Japan. New Haven: Yale University Press. 10-ISBN 0-300-01655-7/13-ISBN 978-0-300-01655-0;...
made with the aid of a microscope
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
during his 20 years as daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of the Koga Domain
Koga Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Shimōsa Province . The first lord of Koga was Ogasawara Hidemasa, who was granted it as a fief following Tokugawa Ieyasu's move to the Kantō region.-List of lords:...
. Thereafter, the snow crystal became a popular design motif on kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
s and on chawan
Chawan
right|thumb|250px|A [[Azuchi-Momoyama period|16th century]] black [[Raku]]-ware tea bowl chawan A chawan is a bowl used for preparing and drinking tea. There are many types of chawan used in a tea ceremony, and the choice of their use depends upon many considerations...
, Japanese tea bowls.
External links
- Scans of a c. 1840 manuscript at the Waseda University LibraryWaseda University LibraryThe library of Waseda University is one of the largest libraries in Japan. It was established in 1882, and currently holds some 4.5 million volumes and 46,000 serials.-History:...
Sources
Suzuki, Bokushi. Hokuetsu Seppu. Edited and annotated by Okada, Takematsu. Iwanami Shoten. Tokyo, 1936; republished 1978. ISBN 4-00-302261-0 Yamaoka, Kei. Echigonokuni Yukimonogatari: Suzuki Bokushi to Hokuetsu Seppu (Snow tales of Echigo province: the story of Suzuki Bokushi and his Hokuetsu Seppu). Kobunsha. Tokyo, 1996. ISBN 4-7704-0891-9- Hunter, Jeffrey and Lesser, Rose, translators. Snow Country Tales: Life in the other Japan. John Weatherhill Inc. Tokyo, 1986. ISBN 0-8348-0210-4