Classic Illustrated Books Modern Art and Design Books Translations of Western Texts Japanese Literature Prints and Ephemera Western Books Photo Books Paintings & Scrolls Australia & New Zealand Others
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Edo Period [1603-1853] Bakumatsu Period [1853-1868] Meiji Period [1868-1912] Taishō Period [1912-1926] Shōwa Period [1926-1989]
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Classic Illustrated Books
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Amijima Shinjū: Koharu Jihē [The Love Suicide at Amijima: Koharu and Jihē]
Amijima Shinjū: Koharu Jihē ["The Love Suicide at Amijima: Koharu and Jihē"]
Shōrin, Hakuchi [performed by]; Namiue, Gisa[burō] [transcribed by]; Suzuki, Anjirō [edited by]; Toyohara, Kunichika [illustrated by].
Tōkyō: Yamato Shinbunsha, Meiji 30 [1897].
A complete transcription in four issues of a performance by professional storyteller Shōrin Hakuchi (1 ...
An unidentified pictorial sutra
[Title illegible]
[Zenpachi (original illustrations by)].
[Ōsaka?: Hiyoshi Nobuhisa?, ca. mid to late Edo period (19th century?)].
Eshingyō, also known as mekurashinkyō, mekurakyō, and hannya eshingyō, are woodblock-printed copies of the Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyō) produced for illiterate people. The illustrations provide vocal cues to the ...
An untitled album of woodblock-printed illustrations
[An untitled album of woodblock-printed illustrations]
Taki, Katei, [Fukushima], Chikaharu, [Fukushima], Ryūho, [Shibata], Zeshin, [Satake], Eiko, [Tōdō], Ryōun, Rinsei, Zuika [illustrated by].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. early Meiji period (1860-70s?)].
An untitled album of ten colour woodblockprinted illustrations of plants, flowers, animals, p ...
An untitled Edo period eshingyō
[An untitled Edo period eshingyō]
[Zenpachi (original illustrations by)].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. mid Edo period (18th century?)].
Eshingyō, also known as mekurashinkyō, mekurakyō, and hannya eshingyō, are woodblock-printed copies of the Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyō) produced for illiterate people. The illustrations provide vocal cues to the ...
An untitled egoyomi tanzaku album
[An untitled egoyomi tanzaku album]
Shimomura, Kanzan, Takeuchi, Seihō, Taniguchi, Kōkyō ... [et al.] [illustrated by].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. Meiji 42 (1909)].
A daishō egoyomi (pictorial calendar) for 1910, featuring twelve poetry-slip (tanzaku) sized leaves, one for each month of the year, illustrated by the artists Shimomura Kanzan (1 ...
Araihari ukiyo moyō (Floating world patterns stretched out to dry)
Araihari ukiyo moyō ["Floating world patterns stretched out to dry"]
Santō, Kyōden [original work by]; Kubota, Beisen [edited by].
Kyōto: Hakuseisha, Meiji 22 [1889].
A collection of 128 textile patterns from Santō Kyōden's Komon shinpō (1786), rearranged and coloured by the artist Kubota Beisen (1852-1906). While the upper wrapper notes t ...
Banshoku tejōchin (Hand-lanterns for all sorts of professions)
[Banshoku tejōchin ("Hand-lanterns for all sorts of professions")]
Sankanjin, Kōrai [text by]; [Ikkōsai, Ikumaru (illustrated by)].
[Tōkyō: Yoshidaya Bunzaburō, ca. late Edo to early Meiji period (1850-70s?)].
A guidebook to a special calligraphic style which emerged in the late Edo period for use in advertisements, especially those handpainted on lantern ...
Bugaku Zukan
[Ca. late Edo period (early to mid-1800s)]. Manuscript.
“Alongside the closely-allied music practice of gagaku, the establishment of the bugaku tradition during the Nara (710-794) and Heian (794-1185) periods reflected a growing interest in cultural and religious practices outside Japan and became part of the Japanese imperial court's broad ...
Bunmei Kaika Tōke Hyakunin Isshu (The Advance of Civilisation: Child's Play, One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets)
Bunmei Kaika Tōke Hyakunin Isshu ["The Advance of Civilisation: Child's Play, One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets"]
Fusō, Kan [selections by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrated by].
Shinsaibashi, [Ōsaka]: Itamiya Zenbē ... [and 12 others], [Meiji 6 (1873)].
A comical anthology of one hundred poems and illustrations on the social and ...
Bunsen gafu (Bunsen's painting manual)
Bunsen gafu ["Bunsen's painting manual"]
Seki, Bunsen [illustrated by].
[Ōsaka]: Kawachiya Kihē, Ansei 2 [1855].
The nihen (second selection) of Seki Bunsen's painting manual, featuring illustrations of landscapes, people, mythological figures, birds and flowers. This copy has been woodblock-printed in more subdued tones than other Meiji ...
Chiyo-shibori (Decorative tie-dyeing (patterns))
Chiyo-shibori ["Decorative tie-dyeing (patterns)"]
Seshimo Gofukuten [produced by].
Uji, [Kyōto Prefecture]: Seshimo Gofukuten, Seisen 5 [1941].
An unrecorded sample book of ten tie-dye designs for autumn and winter, produced in Seisen 5 ("the fifth year of the holy war") by the clothing store Seshimo (or Raika) Gofukuten. The editor notes in the preface t ...
Compilation of People from Overseas
"海外人物輯"
Nagata, Nankei [text by]; Ikkōsai [Utagawa, Yoshimori] [illustrations by].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, preface dated Kaei 7 (1854)].
An album of people and traditional clothing from 42 countries around the world, with brief descriptions of the customs and geography of each country. The set was published as a revised edition of Nishikawa Jo ...
Dōka kokoro no sugatami (Moral poems: mirror of the soul)
Dōka kokoro no sugatami ["Moral poems: mirror of the soul"]
Kasetsu Dōnin [Sangoen], Tsukimaro [text by]; Hori, Genpo [illustrated by].
[Kyōto]: Ryūshiken, Kōbuntei, Kōshōkan, [preface dated Kaei 2 (1849)].
A collection of dōka (didactic poems presenting lessons on life through a Buddhist lens) presented by Sangoen Tsukimaro (Hori Genpo), released ab ...
Dōka kokoro no utsushi-e (Moral poems: reflections of the soul)
Dōka kokoro no utsushi-e ["Moral poems: reflections of the soul"]
[Sangoen, Tsukimaro (text by); Hori, Genpo (illustrated by)].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, preface dated Bunsei 10 (1827)].
A collection of dōka (didactic poems presenting lessons on life through a Buddhist lens) and illustrations mainly based on the Japanese and Chinese character f ...
Dokuhin Benran (Guide to Poisonous Things) = Poisonous Plants: I. Collection
Dokuhin Benran ["Guide to Poisonous Things"] = Poisonous Plants: I. Collection
Ono, Motoyoshi [selections by]; Murayama, Tokujun [proofread by]; Mogami, Kōkichi [illustrated by].
Tōkyō: Ono Motoyoshi, Meiji 11 [1878].
The first collection (of two) of Ono Motoyoshi's privately published guide to poisonous plants native to Japan. The volume features c ...
Ehon tatsu no miyako (Picture book of the dragon`s capital)
[Ehon tatsu no miyako ("Picture book of the dragon's capital")]
[Saitō, Senzan (illustrated by)].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. Meiwa period to An'ei period (1760-70s)?].
An early children's book on the Japanese version of the "Heart of the Monkey" legend, set in the underwater world of Princess Oto of the Dragon Palace. It seems that thi ...
Eshi Zōshi (The Story of a Painter)
Eshi Zōshi ["The Story of a Painter"]
[Creator unidentified].
Edo [Tōkyō]: Nakaya Tokubē [distributed by], [ca. Kaei period (1849)?].
A printed edition of the story of a poor painter, based on a medieval picture scroll. The original scroll is currently housed by the Museum of the Imperial Collections in Tokyo and was once believed to have been paint ...
Famous Songs Remixed, Featuring Ahodarakyō
[Title unidentified]
[Author/s unidentified].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. late Edo period (1840-60s?)].
A collection of short stories, probably humorous, presented as vocal recitations. The index lists eight of the ten songs or recitations included in the volume as kae-uta, lyrics to be sung to the melody of a well-known song instead of the song ...
Fist-Songs on the Red-light District
Shinpan Irozato Ken'uta Ukarebushi ["Red-light District Fist-songs, Newly Published"]
[Author/s unidentified].
Ryōgoku, [Tōkyō]: Azumaya Denzō, [ca. late Edo period (1830-50s)?].
Judging from the title and wrapper illustration, the content of this utahon is either humorous or humorous and risqué. According to Matthew Shores in A Critical Study o ...
Fūryū mongata kiriyō (Elegant crest-shaped cuttings)
Fūryū mongata kiriyō ["Elegant crest-shaped cuttings"]
[Creator unidentified].
[Tōkyō: Zenba Dankyō, Meiji 27 (1894)?].
Four booklets on cutting kamon (crests) from folded paper, bound in one. Monkiri ("crest-cuttings") could be made by cutting out a desired template from issues such as these, laying it on top of a piece of paper which had already been fol ...
Gesaku shisho Kyōden yoshi [Professor Santō's frivolous four books]
Gesaku shisho Kyōden yoshi ["Professor Santō's frivolous four books"]
Santō, Kyōden [text by]].
Kyōbashi, [Tōkyō]: Suzuki Kinjirō, Meiji 18 [1885].
A Meiji edition of Santō Kyōden's comedic adaptation of the classical Chinese Four Books, illustrated with five full-page and two double-page images. The text is a parody by Santō Kyōden of Ke ...
Gibun kihan: haikan hikkei (Examples of humorous writing: an essential manual of folk rumours)
Gibun kihan: haikan hikkei ["Examples of humorous writing: an essential manual of folk rumours"]
Okamoto, Takejirō [edited by]; Suita, Dōshi [inspected by]; [Tsukioka], Yoshitoshi [illustrated by].
Tōkyō: Katō Shōshichi, Meiji 16 [1883].
A collection of around eighty examples of humorous advertisements for restaurants, shops, and various products ...
Hand-painted inrō designs
[A manuscript album of designs for inrō and other objects]
[Artist unidentified].
[Japan, ca. late Edo period (1830-50s?)]. Manuscript.
A collection of over ninety delicately hand-painted designs for inrō (small containers for tobacco and medicine hung on the belt), menuki (metal fittings for sword hilts), tsuba (hand guards for swords), and other metal, i ...
Hauta Songs Illustrated by Kunimaro
Shinpan Hauta Yosebon ["A Storyteller's Book of Hauta Songs, Newly Published"]
[Sanyūtei, Enba (text by)?]; Ichiensai [Utagawa], Kunimaro [illustrated by].
[Tōkyō: publisher unidentified, ca. late Edo period (1840s?)].
A collection of short poems on love, illustrated by Kunimaro. The hauta poems or songs are presented as quotations from courtesans and ...
Heiwa no hana: shinsaku (Flowers of peace: a new work)
Heiwa no hana: shinsaku ["Flowers of peace: a new work"]
Ōyagi, Shungyō [edited by].
Kyōto: Unsōdō, Taishō 9 [1920].
A scarce Unsōdō publication filled with innovative patterns for textiles in collotype. The book was prefaced and edited by the little-known artist Shungyō, who produced at least five other works in the late Meiji to Taishō period with Unsōd ...
Hōgaku kyōka kōkyōshū (The sun collection of donated kyōka)
Hōgaku kyōka kōkyōshū ["The sun collection of donated kyōka"]
Garyōen, Umemaro [selections by]; Go [Totoya], Hokkei, Aoigaoka, Keisei [illustrated by].
[Edo (Tōkyō)?]: Shunyūtei, Bunsei 13 [1830].
A compilation of kyōka by various poets selected (or judged) by Garyōen Umemaro (1793-1859?), illustrated with a frontispiece by Totoya Hokkei ...
Hōkyū gafu (Hōkyū's sketchbook)
Hōkyū gafu ["Hōkyū's sketchbook"]
Hōkyū, Gakei [illustrated by]; Kakumei, [Takeuchi?] [preface by].
[Japan, preface dated Mizunotoushi (Kaei 6 (1853) or Taishō 2 (1913))]. Manuscript.
A hand-painted album of nanga-style illustrations by Hōkyū (or Kataoka) Gakei, about whom no information was traced online. The album contains 16 double-page and 3 ...
Humorous Phrases
Shinpan Ji-amari Shin-monku ["New Ji-amari Phrases, Newly Published"]
[Creator/s unidentified].
Iigura Shinmachi, [Tōkyō]: Fukudaya Kichigorō, [ca. Bunka 7 (1810)?].
Two issues of humorous phrases and jokes, bound in one. Ji-amari refers to poetic compositions in which the typical number of syllables is exceeded. The word monku has an unfortuna ...
Inpu (Book of seals)
Inpu ["Book of seals"]
[Artist illegible].
[Japan, Meiji 23-24 (1890-91)]. Manuscript.
A manuscript of over one hundred tippedin designs for company and product label seals. The first 48 illustrations are for basic designs, probably to be shown to customers as a catalogue. The designs that follow feature the names of stores and products (such as souvenirs ...
Ishō sekai (World of designs)
Ishō Sekai ["World of designs"]
[Sawa], Kyūkō ... [et al.] [illustrated by]; Watanabe, Takijirō [woodblocks cut by].
Tōkyō: Seibikai, Meiji 34 [1901].
Issue 5 of the magazine Ishō Sekai, published by the Seibikai ("The Exquisite Beauty Association"). The eighteen textile designs included were provided by members of the Seibikai, and the woodblocks we ...
Japan's most famous beauty bible
Miyako fūzoku kewaiden ["Cosmetic customs of the capital"]
Sayama, Hanshichimaru [text by]; Hayami, Shungyōsai [illustrated by].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, preface dated Bunka 10 (1813)].
A complete set of Japan's most famous beauty manual, featuring tips on makeup, grooming, haircare, hairstyles, skincare, fashion, hygiene, gait, posture, and ot ...
Kanamegusa (Vital grasses)
Kanamegusa ["Vital grasses"]
Harada, Fumito [created by].
Tōkyō: Kumagai Daijirō, Meiji 19 [1896].
The only known issue of Kanamegusa, a little-known magazine featuring beautiful colour woodblock-printed illustrations in a Nihonga style of birds, fish, flowers, plants, people, and landscapes. The preface suggests that the illustrations, which are spread ov ...
Kingyoku shinseki: San'yō, Shōzan, Tōko (Precious true autographs of San'yō, Shōzan, and Tōko)
Kingyoku shinseki: San'yō, Shōzan, Tōko ["Precious true autographs of San'yō, Shōzan, and Tōko"]
Shikano, Shirō [edited by]; Yamamoto, Yoshitoshi [biographies by].
Tōkyō: Ryōzan Shokakuzō; Shikano Shirō, Meiji 13 [1880].
An album of woodblock-printed examples of the handwriting and name seals of the artist and poet Rai San'yō (1780-1 ...
Kintaichō (A gathering of brocade bags)
Kintaichō ["A gathering of brocade bags"]
Shimomura, Gyokukō [Tamahiro] [illustrated by].
Kyōto: Honda Ichijirō; Gōmei Gaisha Unsōdō, Taishō 10 [1921].
An album of designs for pouches made from brocade fabrics. Such pouches, shifuku, were used in the tea ceremony for tea containers, tea bowls, and other utensils. The colourful pouches were designed by Shim ...
Kokkei manga (Humorous sketches)
Kokkei manga ["Humorous sketches"]
Akatsuki, Kanenari [preface by]; [Santō, Kyōden (illustrated by)].
Ōsaka: Shioya Kisuke, Bunsei 6 [1823].
A re-carved, re-titled, and re-arranged edition of Santō Kyōden's Komon gawa (1790) featuring a new frontispiece and fifteen additional illustrations. Akatsuki no Kanenari I (1793-1860), the artist/author who w ...
Kokkei zuan (Humorous designs)
Kokkei zuan ["Humorous designs"]
Kamisaka, Sekka [illustrated by].
Kyōto: Yamada Naosaburō, Yamada Unsōdō, Meiji 36 [1903].
An album of amusing patterns and illustrations by the famous designer and Neo-Rinpa artist Kamisaka Sekka (1866–1942). Kokkei zuan was published two years after Sekka was sent by the Japanese government to Glasgow as part ...
Kyō saishiki (Colours of the capital)
Kyō saishiki ["Colours of the capital"]
Yamada, Kōun [frontispiece illustrated by], Yamaguchi, Sōsai [wrappers and one illustration designed by], Satō, Shiun, Tabata, Seikō, Tabata, Shiaki [Kihachi III], Kitano, Kashō, Konishi, Akiyama, Inada, Kakō, Rinshun, Takahashi, Tōsen [illustrated by].
Kyōto: Saiyūkai, Kyō Saishiki Hakkōjo, Meiji 41 [1908].
T ...
Kyōka Momochidori [A Flock of Kyōka Poems]
[Kyōka Momochidori ("A Flock of Kyōka Poems")]
[Yanagawa, Shigenobu (illustrated by)]; Shakuyakutei, [Nagane] [preface by].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. 1830s?].
A book of kyōka poems illustrated by Hokusai's pupil and son-in-law Yanagawa Shigenobu (1787–1832), who was known for his surimono and book illustrations. This album features thir ...
Kyōka Zuan (Designs from the Capital)
Kyōka Zuan ["Designs from the Capital"]
Hasegawa, Keika, Furuya, Kōrin [illustrated by].
Kyōto: Yamada Naosaburō, Yamada Unsōdō, Meiji 31-38 [1898-1905].
A complete collection of stunning textile designs by Hasegawa Keika (act. 1892-1905) and Furuya Kōrin (1875–1910). The creative illustrations, many of which reimagine traditional Japanese moti ...
Kyōsai Rakuga (Kyōsai's Drawings for Pleasure)
Kyōsai Rakuga ["Kyōsai's Drawings for Pleasure"]
Kawanabe, Dōiku [Kyōsai] [illustrated by].
Tōkyō: Takeda Den'emon, Meiji 14 [1881].
A delicately woodblock-printed album of 34 double-page illustrations of plants, flowers, and animals by Kyōsai. Kyōsai's distinctively comical style is largely absent from this work; instead, he showcases ...
Makuragoto yume no kayoiji (Bedside koto: the passage of dreams)
Makuragoto yume no kayoiji ["Bedside koto: the passage of dreams"]
Ryūtei, Senka [text by]; Ryūtei, Tanehiko [proofread by]; Utagawa, Sadahide [illustrated by].
Edo [Tokyo]: Tsuruya Kiemon, Tenpo 6 [1835].
The first volume of a "moral story whose plot is taken from the traditions of China and Japan" (S. Yoshitake, "Notes on Japanese Literature", Bu ...
Meika shoga shunjū-jō (Spring and autumn album of calligraphy and illustrations by the masters)
[Meika shoga shunjū-jō ("Spring and autumn album of calligraphy and illustrations by the masters")]
[Shibata], Zeshin ... [et al.] [illustrated by]; Saigō, Takamori ... [et al.] [calligraphy by].
Tōkyō: Fukuendō, Meiji 13 [1880].
A volume of alternating double-page spreads of woodblock-printed calligraphy by eminent political figures and double-p ...
Minoya kasaya hana no yukifuri (A straw raincoat shop and an umbrella store: a snowfall of flowers)
[Minoya kasaya hana no yukifuri ("A straw raincoat shop and an umbrella store: a snowfall of flowers")]
[Tōzaian], Nanboku [text by]; Utagawa, Toyokuni [illustrated by].
[Edo (Tōkyō)]: Kansendō [Izumiya Ichibē], Kinotoi [1815].
A gōkan penned by the block-cutter, ukiyo-e artist, kyōka poet, and gesaku author Tōzaian Nanboku (d. 1827) and illu ...
Miyakogusa (Lotus japonicus)
[Miyakogusa ("Lotus japonicus")]
[Gotō, Ryūkō , Ueno, Seikō , Yamashita, Kōsen, Kobayashi, Gyokunen, Mizuta, Seikō, Shimomura, Gyokukō (Tamahiro) (illustrated by)].
[Kyōto: Honda Unkindō, Meiji 38 (1905)].
An extremely elusive copy of the first volume (presumed all published) of Unkindō's Miyakogusa 'series'. The album features twelve ful ...
Monyō-sen: moyō zushiki (Selected designs: pattern-illustrations)
Monyō-sen: moyō zushiki ["Selected designs: pattern-illustrations"]
Mori, Kyokurei [edited by].
Kyōto: Okugami Shoshi, Shōwa 5 [1930].
A collection of eighty woodblock-printed designs featuring animals, plants, insects, waves, books, and less conventional objects. The album may also have been published under the title Moyō hyakusen. According t ...
Naniwa miyage (Souvenirs from Naniwa)
Naniwa miyage ["Souvenirs from Naniwa"]
Nanritei, Kiraku ... [et al.] [text by]; Akatsuki, Kanenaru ... [et al.] [illustrated by].
Ōsaka: Kawachiya Heishichi, [ca. late Edo period (1850s?)].
A complete set of the first series of Souvenirs from Naniwa, a collection of satirical prints, many illustrated, that typically list or rank people, food, alcohol, cou ...
Notable Figures from Japan and the West: First Series
"和洋奇人傳 初編"
Jōno, Takashige [text by], Ochiai [Utagawa], Yoshiiku [illustrations by].
Tōkyō : Sanshobō , Meiji 5 [1872].
An international take on the kijinden ("eccentric figures" or "extraordinary figures") genre, featuring portraits and brief biographies of a total of 37 Japanese and Western figures, including Alexis de Tocqueville, John Britto ...
One hundred patterns from the capital
Tomon hyakka ["One hundred flowers of patterns from the capital"]
Adachi, Mahaya [Shinsoku] [illustrated by].
Kyōto: Bunsekidō Kitamura Shirobē, Meiji 24 [1891].
A two-volume set of motifs of animals, plants, flowers, and landscapes inspired by traditional Japanese patterns. The artist, Adachi Mahaya, was originally an engraver of menuki, decorative metal ...
Oshiegusa Yoshiwara Suzume (The Lesson of the Yoshiwara Sparrow)
Oshiegusa Yoshiwara Suzume ["The Lesson of the Yoshiwara Sparrow"]
[Sakurada, Jisuke I (original text by)].
Kobunachō, [Tōkyō]: Igaya Kan'emon, [ca. mid Edo period (1800-30s)?]
A nagauta shōhon (booklet of lyrics for a "long song" dance-drama) for a performance of Oshiegusa Yoshiwara Suzume, a composition which likened courtesans to caged sparrows and ...
Phrases to Ward Off Sleep
Nemuke-zamashi Hitori-tanoshimi Hitotsutose-bushi ["Hitotsutose Songs to Enjoy Alone and to Shake Off Sleepiness"]
[Satō, Tomochika (text by)?].
Sakata, [Yamagata?]: [Satō Tomochika?], [ca. late Edo period (1820-50s)?].
A hitotsutose counting song in twenty verses with strong Buddhist overtones. While the theme seems unusual, as counting songs were usual ...
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Classic Illustrated Books Modern Art and Design Books Translations of Western Texts Japanese Literature Prints and Ephemera Western Books Photo Books Paintings & Scrolls Australia & New Zealand Others
Australia New Zealand Antarctica Japan Korea China Other
Edo Period [1603-1853] Bakumatsu Period [1853-1868] Meiji Period [1868-1912] Taishō Period [1912-1926] Shōwa Period [1926-1989]
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