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Japanese Literature

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Kirishitan Kikigaki [A Verbatim Account of the Christians]

On the Jesuits, Organtino, and Fabian Fucan

Kirishitan Kikigaki ["A Verbatim Account of the Christians"]

[Author and transcriber unidentified].

[Japan, ca. late Edo to early Meiji period (1850-70s)?]. Manuscript.

 

A collection of writings about the Jesuit presence in Japan in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The manuscript begins with a brief description of the arrival of Christians (Jesuits) in Ja ...

US$685.00
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Oguri Hanguwan (Oguri Hangan)

On the Legend of Oguri Hangan

Oguri Hanguwan ["Oguri Hangan"]

[Author/s unidentified].

Niigata: Chida Tasaku, Meiji 27 [1894].

 

Issue one only of a hiragana version of the legend of the hero-warrior Oguri Hangan, printed by the Niigata-based uta-hon publisher Chida Tasaku. The fact that the edition is in hiragana suggests it was published for children.

 

Part one on ...

US$85.00
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Hokujoryo kigen shōsho (Origins of the northern pleasure district, abridged)

On the origins of Edo's pleasure quarters

Hokujoryo kigen shōsho ["Origins of the northern pleasure district, abridged"]

Shōji [Nishida], Katsutomi [original text by].

[Japan, ca. Ganji period (1864-1865)?]. Manuscript.

 

An abridged manuscript version of Hokujoryo kigen - an edition of Ihon Dōbō Goen ("Sequel to A garden of words from the boudoir", 1733) with additions by poet Ishihara Toryū (or T ...

US$2,385.00
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A parody ranking of ukiyo-e artists, Yoshiwara-style

Saisei (Record of the Prosperous Age)

[Saisei ("[Record of] the Prosperous Age")]

Fūrai, Sanjin [text by]; Ukiyo, Kenbutsuzaemon [postscript by]. 

[Japan]: Tamaya Josan, Keiō Kinotoushi [1865].

 

An adaptation of the famed Yoshiwara Saiken guide to the pleasure quarters. Where the names of pleasure houses and courtesans would typically be listed, this work features the names (and rankings ...

US$2,860.00
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A parody of the Chinese classics, by Santō Kyōden

Santō kokkei monzen [A collection of Santō's comical writings]

Santō kokkei monzen ["A collection of Santō's comical writings"]

Seisei, Sanjin [Santō, Kyōden] [text by].

Tōto [Tōkyō]: Tōto Shorin: Bakanrō [blocks owned by], [preface dated Kansei 2 (1790)].

 

A parody by Santō Kyōden of Keiten Yoshi, a well-known textbook/commentary on the Four Books of classical Chinese philosophy for Japanese rea ...

US$1,915.00
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Love fortunes: divination on the compatibility of men and women

Sanzesō Izumo tōzachō (The book of divination: a current register of things in Izumo)

Sanzesō Izumo tōzachō ["The book of divination: a current register of things in Izumo"]

Gyōkaen, Gochō [text by]; Ichimōsai [Utagawa], Yoshitora [illustrated by]. 

[Edo (Tōkyō): Kinkyōdō], Kōka 3 [1846].

 

A scarce gōkan on the romantic compatibility of different personality types, authored by Gyōkaen Gochō (active 1846-1852) and illustrated by Utagawa ...

US$1,815.00
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A Kyōsai-Ōga work on the superiority of practical knowledge

Seijin Kimotsubushi: Kengu Shinbun (The Thunderstruck Sage: The New Culture of the Wise and the Foolish)

Seijin Kimotsubushi: Kengu Shinbun ["The Thunderstruck Sage: The New Culture of the Wise and the Foolish"]

Mantei, Ōga [text by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrated by]. 

Tōkyō: Eikyū Bunko, Yamamoto Heikichi ... [et al.], [preface dated Meiji 5 (1872)].

 

The first series (all published) of a Kyōsai-Ōga work on one of Ōga's favourite themes - ...

US$2,350.00
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A satire set in Yoshiwara, illustrated by Kyōsai

Seirō Hankatsū (Poseur of the Bordellos)

Seirō Hankatsū ["Poseur of the Bordellos"] 

Hattori [Mantei], Ōga [text by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrations by]. 

[Tōkyō]: Kōbundō ... [et al.], Meiji 7 [1874]. 

Three issues, complete, of this satire set in Yoshiwara after the implementation of the Meiji 5 (1872) ordinance liberating all geisha and courtesans. Hankatsū (半化通) plays on the id ...

US$2,500.00
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On British politics, customs, and society

Seiyō Bunkenroku (Record of Things Seen and Heard about the West)

Seiyō Bunkenroku ["Record of Things Seen and Heard about the West"]

Murata, Fumio [compiled by].

Hiroshima: Izutsuya Shōjirō, Meiji 2-4 [1869-1871].

 

A complete set of this illustrated record of the history, politics, society, government, geography, and customs of Britain. The compiler, Murata Fumio (1836-1891), is better known as Nomura Fumio, the journa ...

US$1,260.00
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A letter of complaint to insects

Sentakusho yori Nomishirami Kadomo he Onmōshi-idashi no Koto narabi ni Mushi Sanka Nakama yori Sentakujo he Negai Izuru Koto (A Formal Statement from a Laundry to Fleas, Lice, and Mosquitoes, together with a Humble Request from the Three Groups of Insects

Sentakusho yori Nomishirami Kadomo he Onmōshi-idashi no Koto narabi ni Mushi Sanka Nakama yori Sentakujo he Negai Izuru Koto ["A Formal Statement from a Laundry to Fleas, Lice, and Mosquitoes, together with a Humble Request from the Three Groups of Insects to the Laundry"] 

[Matsuda, Yasuke (original text by)]. 

Hacchōbori, [Edo (Tōkyō)]: Kyōya Sōbē, [ca. late Edo peri ...

US$580.00
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Prose by Shakuyakutei, illustrated by Yanagawa Shigenobu II

Shakuyakutei bunshū (Collection of writings by Shakuyakutei)

Shakuyakutei bunshū ["Collection of writings by Shakuyakutei"]

Shakuyakutei, [Nagane] [text by]; Goshintei, Mizaru, Takekuma'an, Futaki [proofread by]; Yanagawa, Shigenobu II [illustrated by].

[Japan]: Rikkaen Fusanaga [printing blocks owned by], Tenpō 5 [1834]. 

 

A collection of short prose pieces by the famed kyōka poet and occasional gesaku aut ...

US$735.00
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The definitive pre-war translation of Marx's Das Kapital

Shihonron (Das Kapital)

Shihonron ["Das Kapital"]

Marx, Karl [original text by]; Takabatake, Motoyuki [translated by].

Tōkyō: Kaizōsha, Shōwa 2-3 [1927-1928].

 

One of the earliest complete Japanese translations of Das Kapital. The translator, Takabatake Motoyuki (1886-1928), discovered an English edition of Marx's work during time he spent in jail for an article on the 1908 po ...

US$780.00
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Shina Taikan (A Compendium of China)

Shina Taikan ["A Compendium of China"]

Fukuda, Bisen [Shūtarō] [text and illustrations by].

Tōkyō: Kanao Bun'endō, Taishō 5 [1916].

 

A complete set of two volumes by Fukuda Bisen (1875-1963) on the geography, customs, and history of China. The highly illustrated albums cover the Yōsukō (Yangtze River) region and the Kōga (Yellow River) region, whi ...

US$500.00
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A daring piece of political satire

Shinmonku Yukari no Tsuki (The Moon of Affinity: New Lyrics)

Shinmonku Yukari no Tsuki ["The Moon of Affinity: New Lyrics"]

[Illustrator and author unidentified].

[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. Keiō 4 (1868)].

 

Kawaraban were woodblock-printed gossip and news sheets produced illicitly in the Edo period for the consumption of laypeople. Publishers who dared print kawaraban on political topics were at a particular ...

US$960.00
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Creative designs and picture-puzzles by Hiroshige

Shinpō kyōji zukue (New method of illustrating crazy characters)

Shinpō kyōji zukue ["New method of illustrating crazy characters"] 

Mantei, Ōga [text by]; Ichiryūsai [Utagawa], Hiroshige [illustrated by].

[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. Kōka gannen (1844)]. 

 

A playful book of moji-e ("character-picture") illustrations by Utagawa Hiroshige accompanied by poems by Mantei Ōga. Moji-e are illustrations th ...

US$2,180.00
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Two Kyōsai-Ōga zasshi bound in one

Shōbatsu Tenkarafuru (Reward and Punishment: Fall from Heaven); Bikkuri Chōmenbako (The Surprise Box of Punishment)

Shōbatsu Tenkarafuru ["Reward and Punishment: Fall from Heaven"]; Bikkuri Chōmen-bako ["The Surprise Box of Punishment"]

Hattori [Mantei], Ōga [text by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrated by]. 

Tōkyō: Yamazaki Seishichi ... [et al.], Meiji 8 [1875].

 

Two Kyōsai-Ōga zasshi bound together by an ex-owner. The title of the first issue in the volume ...

US$1,750.00
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A bibliographically interesting manuscript

Shozōki (Miscellaneous notes)

Shozōki ["Miscellaneous notes"]

[Author unidentified].

[Japan, ca. Meiji period (1880-1900s?)]. Manuscript.

 

A manuscript on an array of topics, featuring what appears to be the inclusion of illustrations of several books used for reference by the compiler. A work of bibliographical interest needing deciphering.

 

One manuscript volume, ...

US$205.00
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Mad poems, illustrated by Harukawa Goshichi

Shunkyōshū: kyōka eiri (Collection of spring fancies: illustrated kyōka poems)

Shunkyōshū: kyōka eiri ["Collection of spring fancies: illustrated kyōka poems"] 

Tokkansai, Sachō [selections by]; Harukawa, Goshichi [illustrated by].

Karaku [Kyōto]: Shōfūsha [blocks cut by]; Yoshida Shinbē [book bound by], Bunka 13 [1816].

 

A collection of kyōka poems by various poets, each accompanied by a colour woodblock-printed illustration,& ...

US$2,200.00
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A guidebook to Shuzenji Onsen, illustrated by Kyōsai

Shuzenji Onsen Meishoki (Famous Places in Shuzenji Onsen)

Shuzenji Onsen Meishoki ["Famous Places in Shuzenji Onsen"]

Hattori [Mantei], Ōga [text by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrated by]. 

[Shizuoka]: Gotō Senzō, Meiji 13 [1880]. 

 

One of the few non-satirical works Ōga and Kyōsai produced together, Shuzenji Onsen Meishoki is an illustrated guidebook to Shuzenji Onsen in Izu, Shikuoka Prefecture. ...

US$250.00
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A Biwa-ren collection of 'mad poems', illustrated by Katsushika Hokutai

Sodetama kyōkashū (Sleeve-sized collection of kyōka poems)

Sodetama kyōkashū ["Sleeve-sized collection of kyōka poems"]

Benbenkan, Koryū [text by]; Eisai, Hokutai [Katsushika Hokutai] [illustrated by]; Shikitei, Sanba [preface by].

[Edo (Tōkyō): Yamatoya Kyūbē, Bunka 3-4 (1806-7)].

 

A collection of kyōka - 'mad poems' - edited by the kyōka poet and shogunate retainer Benbenkan Koryū (1746-1818). Koryū ...

US$1,230.00
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Sankō Genpei Seisuiki (A Reference to the Chronicle of the Rise and Fall of the Minamoto and Taira Clans) (with) Sankō Ishiyama Gunki (A Reference to the War Chronicle of Ishiyama)

Story Synopses in the Mid-Meiji Era

Sankō Genpei Seisuiki ["A Reference to the Chronicle of the Rise and Fall of the Minamoto and Taira Clans"] [with] Sankō Ishiyama Gunki ["A Reference to the War Chronicle of Ishiyama"]

Ikkeisai [Utagawa] [Ochiai], Yoshiiku [illustrated by].

Tōkyō: Hiro'oka Kōsuke, Meiji 16 [1883].

 

Four issues from the Kinko Jitsuroku ("Veritable Records of Past and Pre ...

US$205.00
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Ōnishi Chinnen's Customs of the Eastern capital

Taihei uzō (Scenes of the Great Peace)

Taihei uzō ["Scenes of the Great Peace"]

[Ōnishi], Chinnen [illustrated by].

Edo [Tōkyō]: Kobayashi Shinbe, Ōsakaya Genbē, Bunsei 12 [1829]. 

 

An early printing of Ōnishi Chinnen's beautiful Azuma no teburi ("Customs of the Eastern Capital"), also known as Chinnen gafu ("Chinnen's album") and Taihei uzō ("Scenes of the Great Peace"), featurin ...

US$2,280.00
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A household Taiheiki, featuring characters made of kitchen utensils

Taiheiki Mochisake Kassen (Chronicle of Peace: Battle of Rice Cakes and Sake); Setaiheiki: Garakuta-Banashi (Chronicle of Household Peace: Stories of Miscellaneous Utensils); Setaiheiki: Kanryaku no Maki (Chronicle of Household Peace: Abridged Section)

Taiheiki Mochisake Kassen ["Chronicle of Peace: Battle of Rice Cakes and Sake"]; Setaiheiki: Garakuta-Banashi ["Chronicle of Household Peace: Stories of Miscellaneous Utensils"]; Setaiheiki: Kanryaku no Maki ["Chronicle of Household Peace: Abridged Section"] 

[Creator/s unidentified]. 

Bakurochō, [Tōkyō]: Yoshidaya Shōkichi, [ca. Tenpō 9 (1838)?].

 

US$450.00
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An apologue by Robun and Kyōsai

Taiyō Shinwa: Tako no Nyūdō Uo Sekkyō (The Bald Octopus's Sermon to the Fish: A New Story from the Ocean)

Taiyō Shinwa: Tako no Nyūdō Uo Sekkyō ["The Bald Octopus's Sermon to the Fish: A New Story from the Ocean"]

Kanagaki, Robun [text by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrated by]. 

[Tōkyō]: Zonseikaku ... [et al.], [preface dated Meiji 5 (1872)]. 

 

In this apologue by Robun, who was the son of a fishmonger, the Dragon King hears of social refo ...

US$2,150.00
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A three-issue parody of a family history, by Ōga and Kyōsai

Tanemaki Gonbē no Atotsugi: Tarobē Mizukakeron (Tarobē the Waterer, Successor of Gonbē the Sower)

Tanemaki Gonbē no Atotsugi: Tarobē Mizukakeron ["Tarobē the Waterer, Successor of Gonbē the Sower"]

Hattori [Mantei], Ōga [text by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrated by]. 

Tōkyō: Yamazakiya Seishichi ... [et al.], Meiji 7 [1874].

 

The middle fascicle of a three-issue parody of a family history produced by Ōga and Kyōsai - Gonbē Tanemakiron ("Gonb ...

US$1,750.00
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Satoka yoi Ōpira no sakae: uosei hatsumono (Villages and houses on night duty and Ōpira`s honour: the first catch of milt)

The battle of an eggplant and a bonito over a potato-courtesan

Satoka yoi Ōpira no sakae: uosei hatsumono ["Villages and houses on night duty and Ōpira's honour: the first catch of milt"]

Torii, Kiyonaga [illustrated by].

[Edo (Tōkyō): Okumuraya, An'ei 6 (1777)].

 

A kibyōshi illustrated by famous artist Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815) on the tale of a battle (instigated by a feud between a bonito and an eggpla ...

US$4,600.00
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A Complete Ten Volume Set on the Satsuma Rebellion

The Seinan War, from Beginning to End

"西南戦争始終"

Shōzaburō, Maeda [edited by]; Utagawa, Yoshikage [illustrated by].

Ōsaka: Maeda Kihē, Meiji 10 [1877].

 

A complete set of ten illustrated books on the Satsuma Rebellion (also known as the Seinan War), a battle between samurai and the new imperial government which took place from January to September, 1877, culminating in the elimination of th ...

US$3,265.00
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Mizu no omo shū

The surface of the water

Mizu no omo shū ["The surface of the water"]

Shakuyakutei, [Nagane], Suiseien, [Ryōkyo], Saisentei, [Naofuru] [poems selected by]; [Komatsubara], Suikei [illustrated by].

[Japan]: Mendō, Seiyūen [printing blocks owned by], [postscript dated Tenpō 2 (1831)].

 

A collection of kyōka poems illustrated with stunning colour woodblock prints by Komatsubara Suike ...

US$3,050.00
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A famous Chinese parable, skilfully woodblock printed by master craftsmen

The Ten Bulls

The Ten Bulls 

Matsumura, K. [Kaiseki] [compiled by]; Wadagaki, K. [Kenzō] [translated by]; Saito, Shoshyu [Saitō, Shōshū] [illustrated by]; Okura, H. [Hanbē] [blocks cut by]; Nishimura, K. [Kumakichi] [hand-printed by].  

Tōkyō: Sakura-Shobo, Taishō 3 [1914].

 

A delightful little book of Zen poems with skilfully woodblock-printed illustrati ...

US$160.00
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A kusazōshi featuring copperplate-printed text

Tokugawa jūgo dairyakki (An abridged record of the fifteen Tokugawa shōguns)

Tokugawa jūgo dairyakki ["An abridged record of the fifteen Tokugawa shōguns"]

Ishikawa, Wasuke [edited by]; [Hasegawa], Sadanobu [II] [illustrated by].

Ōsaka: Ishikawa Wasuke, Meiji 13 [1880].

 

A complete three-volume set of this early/mid Meiji kusazōshi picture book featuring a mix of woodblockand copperplate-printing techniques. Each volume begins wit ...

US$680.00
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An enterprising adaptation of the Yoshiwara saiken (Guide to the pleasure quarters)

Tōkyō ryūkō saiken-ki (A detailed guide to Tokyo trends)

[Tōkyō ryūkō saiken-ki ("A detailed guide to Tokyo trends")]

Tōtō, Sanjin [preface by]; Noboritei, Isshin [selections by]; Shimizu, Ichijirō [edited by].

Tōkyō: Shimizu Ichijirō, Meiji 18 [1885].

 

An adaptation, occasionally humorous, of the famed Yoshiwara Saiken guide, featuring the names of popular manufacturers, stores, craftspeople, and entertainers w ...

US$2,895.00
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Creatures constructed from everyday tools

Tsukurimono Shukō no Tane (Ideas for Fabricated Things)

Tsukurimono Shukō no Tane ["Ideas for Fabricated Things"] 

Akatsuki, Seiō [Kanenari] [created by]; Kirōtei, Rikimaru [preface by]; Matsukawa, Hanzan [illustrated by]. 

[Ōsaka]: Aoki Sūzandō, [ca. Meiji period (1880-90s)?].

 

A Meiji printing of Matsukawa Hanzan's album of tsukurimono (lit. "fabricated things") - objects, legendary character ...

US$680.00
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Aesop's Fables, illustrated by Kawanabe Kyōsai

Tsūzoku Isoppu Monogatari (Aesop's Popular Fables)

Tsūzoku Isoppu Monogatari ["Aesop's Popular Fables"] 

Aesop [original fables by]; Watanabe, Tazunu [translated by]; Fujisawa, Bainan, Sakaki, Kōson, Kawanabe, Kyōsai, [Tenniel, Sir John], [Wolf, Joseph] [illustrated by]. 

Tōkyō: Watanabe Tazunu [printing blocks owned by], Yamashiroya Sahē [distributed by], Meiji 5-6 [1872-1873].

 

The most wid ...

US$2,050.00
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A little-known collaboration between Robun, Kyōsai, and Oka Jōki

Ukiyo Karakuri Seiyō Megane (The Machinations of the Floating World Through Western Lenses)

Ukiyo Karakuri Seiyō Megane ["The Machinations of the Floating World Through Western Lenses"]

Oka, Jōki [Kawahara Eikichi] [text by], Kanagaki, Robun [proofread by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrated by]. 

[Tōkyō]: Bankyūkaku, [preface dated Meiji 6 (1873)].

 

The complete first series (all published) of a little-known collaboration between Robun, ...

US$2,150.00
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An unrecorded book of obake: revenge of the household utensils

Ukiyo nanabake ezukushi (Illustrated compilation of seven shapeshifters of the floating world)

Ukiyo nanabake ezukushi ["Illustrated compilation of seven shapeshifters of the floating world"]

[Illustrator and author unidentified].

Teramachi, Kyōto: Hishiya Jihē, [ca. mid-Edo period (1740-60s)?].

 

An illustrated story of vengeance unrecorded in online databases. Tsukumogami, closely related to hyakkimono, are utensils and implements that have become s ...

US$2,500.00
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A high-quality reproduction of a Sanjūrokkasen album

Untitled sanjūrokkasen album

[Untitled sanjūrokkasen album]

[Shōkadō, Shōjo (original illustrations by)?].

[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. early to mid-Shōwa period (1930-50s)?]. 

 

An album of illustrations of the sanjūrokkasen ("Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry") and calligraphic renderings of poems by the poets - probably a high quality reproduction of an album hand-paint ...

US$380.00
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A famous kabuki actor's biography, illustrated by Kunisada

Yakusha Kijinden (Biographies of Extraordinary Actors)

Yakusha Kijinden ["Biographies of Extraordinary Actors"]

Tatekawa [Utei], Enba [II] [selections by]; [Utagawa, Kunisada (illustrated by)].

[Edo (Tōkyō): Yamaguchiya Tōbē, Tenpō 4 (1833)].

 

The first volume of the first series of Yakusha Kijinden. The four-volume work featured biographies of the kabuki actors Ichikawa Ebizō V (1791–1859), Segawa Kik ...

US$340.00
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James Legge's translation of the Four Books

Zhu shi jiao zheng Hua Ying si shu (The Four Books in Chinese and English, annotated and corrected)

Zhu shi jiao zheng Hua Ying si shu ["The Four Books in Chinese and English, annotated and corrected"]

Legge, [James] [translated by].

[Shanghai?]: Shang wu yin shu guan, [ca. early 20th century?]. 

 

An English translation by the Scottish missionary James Legge (1815-1897) of the 'Four Books' (Confucian analects, The great learning, The doctrine ...

US$540.00
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A Taishō era translation of The Gospel of St. Mark

Zokugo Mako-den: shinyaku seisho (St. Mark in Colloquial Japanese)

Zokugo Mako-den: shinyaku seisho = St. Mark in Japanese Colloquial [sic]

[Translator unidentified]. 

Yokohama: Beikoku Seisho Kaisha = American Bible Society, Taishō 3 [1914].

 

A Taishō era translation of The Gospel of St. Mark into Japanese, published as a small pamphlet (12.7 x 9.4 cm) by the American Bible Society in Yokohama. H.W. Schwartz (Rev. He ...

US$175.00
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A map of famous places in Shuzenji Onsen, illustrated by Kyōsai

Zushū Shuzenji Onsen Meisho Kaisei-zu (Revised Map of Famous Places in Shuzenji Onsen, Zushū)

Zushū Shuzenji Onsen Meisho Kaisei-zu ["Revised Map of Famous Places in Shuzenji Onsen, Zushū"]

Mantei, Ōga [reproduced by]; Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai ["clearly transcribed" by]. 

[Shizuoka: Gotō Senzō?], Meiji 14 [1881]. 

 

Printed on one large (34.5 x 51 cm) leaf using a very finely cut woodblock, Zushū Shuzenji Onsen Meisho Kaisei no Zu is an ...

US$450.00
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A collaboration between Bakin and Shigemasa

(Shinpan) Kannin goryō kogane no kotonoha ((Newly published) Profit from perseverance: golden phrases)

(Shinpan) Kannin goryō kogane no kotonoha ["(Newly published) Profit from perseverance: golden phrases"]

[Kyokutei, Bakin (text by); Kitao, Shigemasa (illustrated by)].

[Edo (Tokyo): Tsuruya Kiemon, Kansei 8 (1796)].

 

The second volume of a comical work about a young man (Zenjirō) and woman (Osechi) who, taking to heart their parents' teachings about pe ...

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For Irish Diplomat J.C. Hall

A Document on the Tokugawa Administration

[An untitled manuscript on the Tokugawa administration]

[Author unidentified].

[Japan, ca. Meiji period (1870-90s)]. Manuscript.

 

A manuscript on the Tokugawa shogunate's civil government system, previously owned by or prepared for the diplomat and eventual British Consul-General John Carey Hall (1844-1921). Hall, who was born in Northern Ireland, came ...

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On chivalrous street gangs of Edo

A story of the Otokodate of Yedo = Banzuiin Chōbē

A story of the Otokodate of Yedo = Banzuiin Chōbē

[Redesdale, Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford (original text by)]; White, J.L. [corrected by].

Tokyo: Shoeido, Meiji 35 [1902]. Sixth edition.

 

A translation of the work Banzuiin Chōbē by the British diplomat and Japanologist Algernon Bertram Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale (1837 - 1916). The text recounts the s ...

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A deluxe Ise calendar for 1856

Ansei San Heishin-reki (Calendar for Ansei Three)

Ansei San Heishin-reki ["Calendar for Ansei Three"]

[Creator unidentified].

Yamada, Watarai-gun, Ise: Yamaguchi Ubē, Ansei 2 [1855]. 

 

An Isegoyomi calendar for Ansei 3 (1856) produced in deluxe navy wrappers decorated in a gold pigment with auspicious symbols including cranes and turtles. Isegoyomi calendars were produced in and around Ise Shrine by ...

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Beautifully illustrated with watercolour-like gradations

Asagiri (Morning mist)

Asagiri ["Morning mist"]

Ōta, Saburō [illustrated by]. 

Tōkyō: Seibidō, Meiji 45 [1912].

 

A two-volume work featuring seventy illustrations matched with lyrics to folk or traditional Japanese songs. The illustrator, Ōta Saburō (1884-1969, sometimes referred to as Ōta Samurō), studied Western-style painting under the artist and politician Kuroda Seik ...

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First Steps in Geography

Chiri Shohō

Tōkyō : Monbushō, Meiji 6 [1873].

 

A Meiji-period illustrated textbook on geography compiled by the government. Books such as these were used after the opening of Japan to trade in the Meiji period to introduce scientific information from overseas to the Japanese population. Woodblock-printed, with several illustrations, including one in colour of a world map.

...

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An illustrated program for the French Circus Soulie

Cirque Soulie (Circus Soulie)

Cirque Soulie = Surie ["Circus Soulie"]

Chōkōrō [Utagawa], Yoshiharu [illustrated by]. 

Bakurochō, [Tōkyō]: Yamaguchiya Tōbē, Meiji 5 [1872]. 

 

An ehon banzuke (illustrated program or playbill) for the misemono (exhibition/carnival) by the French equestrian circus Cirque Soulie. The circus, which performed at nine locations in Japan between Meiji ...

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A small archive of ephemera on women's sumo

Collection of ephemera on female sumo wrestlers

[Collection of ephemera on female sumo wrestlers]

[Various creators].

[Japan, ca. Meiji to early Shōwa period (1880-1930s?)].

 

An archive relating to the activities of female sumo wrestlers in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Women were banned by the government from sumo wrestling in 1926 despite centuries of participating in the sport. The ban on wom ...

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One of the scarcest Kyōsai-Ōga creations

Danjo Shussan Takara no Yamairi (Male and Female Birth: Entering the Treasure Trove)

Danjo Shussan Takara no Yamairi ["Male and Female Birth: Entering the Treasure Trove"]

Mantei, Ōga [text by]; Ōju Seisei [Kawanabe], Kyōsai [illustrated by]. 

[Tōkyō]: Kodama Yakichi, Meiji 14 [1881]. 

 

Possibly one of the scarcest Kyōsai-Ōga creations, this allegorical map was doubtlessly inspired by the creators' collaboration on a single-sh ...

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Love poems with humorous illustrations by Yoshimori

Dodoitsu zue (Illustrated love poems)

Dodoitsu zue ["Illustrated love poems"]

Kōseisha, Sakumaru [selections by]; Ikkōsai [Utagawa], Yoshimori [illustrated by].

[Japan: publisher/s unidentified, preface dated Man'en gannen (1860)].

Five volumes of dodoitsu (poems that are often humorous and typically about love) illustrated by Yoshimori (1830–1884), bound in one. It may be the case that Kōseisha Sak ...

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CATEGORIES

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

REGIONS

Australia New Zealand Antarctica Japan Korea China Other

BY DATE

Edo Period [1603-1853] Bakumatsu Period [1853-1868] Meiji Period [1868-1912] Taishō Period [1912-1926] Shōwa Period [1926-1989]

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