Hōnen Gokoku Matsuri: Rikai Shinbun (A Five-Grain Festival for the Abundant Harvest: Understandings of the New Culture)

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Hōnen Gokoku Matsuri: Rikai Shinbun ["A Five-Grain Festival for the Abundant Harvest: Understandings of the New Culture"]

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

Tōkyō: Kobayashi Kiemon, Meiji 5 [1872] - [Meiji 6 (1873)]. 

One of the earliest Kyōsai-Ōga novels, on the importance of agriculture. Steele (2010) notes that "at one point [in the text] the hero, Mr. Number One in the World (Sekai Dai’ichirō) is allowed to vent his anger against the intrusion of 'civilization' and education that promotes the understanding of science (kyūri). His dream is to spread the abundance of agriculture throughout the world". Oikawa and Yamaguchi (1984b) suggest that the work warns against the wasteful (over-) use of rice and water. Many of Kyōsai's illustrations in this work still display the distinctive features of toba-e, and one of the double-page scenes features the Punch-tengu character Kyōsai was fond of using in his Meiji period publications. The squarish daisen mounted on the upper wrapper of the first issue is unusual for a Kyōsai-Ōga publication. Kobayashi Kiemon, the publisher, is better known as Tsuruya Kiemon or Senkadō. A third issue of the work was advertised but never published. No physical sets traced outside of Japan in OCLC. 

Issues 1 and 2 (all published). Two four-hole-bound (yotsumetoji) volumes, complete, on double leaves, traditional East Asian binding style (fukurotoji). Original wrappers worn, slightly rubbed, and creased. Original woodblock-printed daisen title panels present, small losses to that of issue 2. Small losses and tears to pastedown of v.1. Thumbing, light creases, and minor marks to leaves. Red pigment hand-applied to several illustrations. Ex-ownership note in brush and ink to upper pastedown of v.2. 25, 25 leaves. 18.1 x 11.9 cm; 18 x 12.4 cm.

❧ Steele, M. William. "Meiji Twitterings: A Parody of Fukuzawa's An Encouragement of Learning". Ajia Bunka Kenkyū 18 (2010), 55-77.  

❧ Oikawa, Shigeru and Seiichi Yamaguchi. "Kawanabe Kyōsai Sashiebon no Shomoku narabini Kaidai: Ge, Kyōsai no Sashie to Dezain". Museum 396 (1984), 18-26.

Hōnen Gokoku Matsuri: Rikai Shinbun (A Five-Grain Festival for the Abundant Harvest: Understandings of the New Culture)
Price: $2,350.00 (USD)