Kusazoshi
Encyclopedia
is a term that covers various genres of popular woodblock
-printed illustrated literature during the Japanese Edo Period
(1600-1868) and early Meiji period
. These works were published in the city of Edo
(modern Tokyo
). In its widest sense, the term kusazōshi includes the genres of , ,, and ; in the narrow sense it may refer uniquely to gōkan. Kusazōshi belong to the group of works of popular fiction known as .
, kurohon and aohon, all of which were published before 1775.
At this period the pictures were considered to be of more importance than text. The text itself was mainly written in hiragana
, although some kanji also appear. These early works are not of a high literary value, and are often derivative. However, they are often of interest to scholars from other fields as they provide a unique insight into the life, customs, and interests of the ordinary people of the time.
The size of Kusazōshi is referred to by the term chūhon, similar to the modern B6 size of paper
. The volumes are made up of pieces of folded paper bound together, and each piece of paper is known as a .
It is thought that these early works were enjoyed by a wide readership, and were especially appreciated by women and children.
entitled marked a new era in the development of kusazōshi. Kibyōshi developed out of the earlier aohon, and in fact the form of the books of these two genres is exactly the same. Works of these genres are conventionally categorised by the date of publication, with works dated before 1775 deemed 'aohon' and those published in or after 1775 'kibyōshi'.
At first sight, Kinkin Sensei Eiga no Yume appears to be a simple retelling of the Chinese tale of Lu Sheng ((廬生), in Japanese: Rosei), a young man who falls asleep in the Zhao
capital of Handan
), and dreams of glory but wakes to find that the millet at his bedside has not even begun to boil. However, in the manner of a roman à clef
the reader is given visual and textual clues that the characters actually represent contemporary figures such as the kabuki
actor , and these figures' personal lives are parodied.
This is a development which changed the course of the kusazōshi genre profoundly, and henceforth it is thought that the works were increasingly read by educated male adults.
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
-printed illustrated literature during the Japanese Edo Period
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....
(1600-1868) and early Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
. These works were published in the city of 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...
(modern Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
). In its widest sense, the term kusazōshi includes the genres of , ,, and ; in the narrow sense it may refer uniquely to gōkan. Kusazōshi belong to the group of works of popular fiction known as .
Characteristics of early kusazōshi
The term early kusazōshi usually refers to akahonAkahon
Akahon can refer to early kusazōshi that were produced during the latter seventeenth and early eighteenth century in Japan. They cover a wide variety of topics, and were often read by children...
, kurohon and aohon, all of which were published before 1775.
At this period the pictures were considered to be of more importance than text. The text itself was mainly written in hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
, although some kanji also appear. These early works are not of a high literary value, and are often derivative. However, they are often of interest to scholars from other fields as they provide a unique insight into the life, customs, and interests of the ordinary people of the time.
The size of Kusazōshi is referred to by the term chūhon, similar to the modern B6 size of paper
Paper size
Many paper size standards conventions have existed at different times and in different countries. Today there is one widespread international ISO standard and a localised standard used in North America . The paper sizes affect writing paper, stationery, cards, and some printed documents...
. The volumes are made up of pieces of folded paper bound together, and each piece of paper is known as a .
It is thought that these early works were enjoyed by a wide readership, and were especially appreciated by women and children.
Kibyōshi
's kibyōshiKibyoshi
' is a genre of Japanese picture book kusazōshi produced during the middle of the Edo period, from 1775 to the early 19th century. Physically identifiable by their yellow-backed covers, kibyōshi were typically printed in 10 page volumes, many spanning two to three volumes in length, with the...
entitled marked a new era in the development of kusazōshi. Kibyōshi developed out of the earlier aohon, and in fact the form of the books of these two genres is exactly the same. Works of these genres are conventionally categorised by the date of publication, with works dated before 1775 deemed 'aohon' and those published in or after 1775 'kibyōshi'.
At first sight, Kinkin Sensei Eiga no Yume appears to be a simple retelling of the Chinese tale of Lu Sheng ((廬生), in Japanese: Rosei), a young man who falls asleep in the Zhao
Zhao
Zhao may refer to:* Zhao , a Chinese surname* Zhao , a historical Chinese state in the Warring States Period* Zhao , a historical Chinese state in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period...
capital of Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
), and dreams of glory but wakes to find that the millet at his bedside has not even begun to boil. However, in the manner of a roman à clef
Roman à clef
Roman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
the reader is given visual and textual clues that the characters actually represent contemporary figures such as the kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
actor , and these figures' personal lives are parodied.
This is a development which changed the course of the kusazōshi genre profoundly, and henceforth it is thought that the works were increasingly read by educated male adults.