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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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Japanese Literature
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(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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
Ataru Taishō roku-nen shichi-gatsu kyōgen sujigaki (Sellout July 1917 Kyōgen: play scenario) (with) Taishō roku-nen ku-gatsu kyōgen sujigaki (September 1917 Kyōgen: play scenario)
Ataru Taishō Roku-nen Shichi-gatsu Kyōgen Sujigaki ["Sellout July 1917 Kyōgen: Play Scenario"] [with] Taishō Roku-nen Ku-gatsu Kyōgen Sujigaki ["September 1917 Kyōgen: Play Scenario"]
Kawatake, Mokuami [text by].
Kyōbashi, [Tōkyō]: Kamijō Minoji, Taishō 6 [1917].
Two sujigaki scenario-books for kyōgen kabuki performances staged in 1917 by the Ichimura-za t ...
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 [with 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 techno ...
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 ...
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.
...
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 ...
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 ...
Ehon Kinsei Nihon Nenkei
Tsuchiya, Ikunosuke [Sudō, Nansui] [edited by]; Ichiōsai [Utagawa], Kunimatsu [illustrated by].
Tōkyō : Shimizu Kahē, [publishing permission received in Meiji 16 (1883)]. First edition.
A charming accordion-folding chronology of important events in Japan from 1844 to 1882, highly illustrated with delicate copperplate-engraved vignettes. The delightful little work ...
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 ...
Eiri Nichiyō Onna Chōhōki (An Illustrated Handbook on Daily Life for Women)
Eiri Nichiyō Onna Chōhōki ["An Illustrated Handbook on Daily Life for Women"]
Ōi, Eijo [illustrated by]; Takai, Ranzan [text by].
Ōsaka: Izumiya Kin'emon, Kōka 4 [1847].
Katsushika Ōi (ca. 1800-1866, also known as Katsushika Eijo), Hokusai's third daughter, was active in helping her artist father produce illustrations in his workshop. She ...
Eiwa Shisho: Bessatsu Daigaku, Chūyō, Eibun, Zen
英和四書：別冊 大學・中庸 英文 全 [Eiwa Shisho: Bessatsu Daigaku, Chūyō, Eibun, Zen, “Four Books of the Chinese Classics Translated into English”]
[Confucius; Zisi (original texts by)]; Legge, James [translated by]; Imamura, N[agayoshi] [revised and translated into Japanese by].
Tōkyō: Z.P. Maruya & Co., Meiji 18 [1885]. "New edition".
Jame ...
Esagashi taizenshū: kyōiku moji-e (Great compilation of hidden pictures: character-pictures for education)
Esagashi taizenshū: kyōiku moji-e ["Great compilation of hidden pictures: character-pictures for education"]
[Utagawa, Kunitoshi (illustrated by)].
Tōkyō: Kokkadō, [ca. Meiji 25 (1892)].
A mid-Meiji period compilation of hidden-picture puzzles and moji-e for children. The work is split into two parts: Tōsei sanjūni mensō ("Thirty-two amusing express ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Hobby Cocktails
"趣味のコクテール"
Momose, Susumu [text by].
Tōkyō : Kinseidō , Shōwa 8 [1933]. First edition.
One of the earliest Japanese cocktail books, containing information on the history of cocktails, notes on mixing liquors, illustrations of implements used in bartending, and, of course, many cocktail recipes.
Original boards, minor wear t ...
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 ...
Humorous Tales from Chinese History
Kokkei Retsuden ["Biographies of Jesters"]
[Sima, Qian (original text by)]; Hamamura, Zōroku II [owned and/or copied by].
[Hyōgo?], Kansei 12 [1800]. Manuscript, on woodblockprinted stationery.
A kanbun rendering in manuscript of Guji Liezhuan ("The Biographies of Jesters"), volume 126 of the Shiji ("Records of the Grand Historian") by Sima Qian (c. 145-8 ...
I am a Cat (Chapter I, Chapter II)
Natsume, K. [Kinnosuke; Natsume, Soseki]; Ando, K. [Andō, Kanichi] [translation by]; [Hashiguchi, Goyō (illustrations by)].
Tokyo : Y. Okura, 1906 [actually 1908]. First edition, later printing.
The first English translation of Natsume Soseki's classic of modern Japanese fiction. The translator, Andō, a fan of Conan Doyle, went to the great writer's house ...
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 ...
Jūkanroku: Sōga
Mizushima, Kōyō (Isaiah) [edited by].
Tōkyō : Seikyō Honkai Henshūjo, Meiji 39 [1906]. First edition.
A document printed to commemorate a celebration by the congregation of the Japanese Orthodox Church for the 25th anniversary of Bishop Nikolai Kasatkin (1836–1912) and his elevation to Archbishop of All Japan by the Russian Orthodox Holy Syno ...
Kachi-Kachi Mountain
Kachi-Kachi Mountain
Hiro, Kodō [Japanese indirectly translated by]; Thompson, David [English translation by].
Tōkyō: Hiro Kodō, Hasegawa Takejirō, Meiji 20 [1887].
A supplement to issue 1,219 of Eiri Jiyū Shinbun featuring the translation of Kachi-Kachi Yama originally used in one of Hasegawa Takejirō's famous chirimenbon (crepe-paper books). The tex ...
Kaigai hiyō shūbunshū [Foreign secrets collected and reported]
Kaigai Hiyō Shūbunshū ["Foreign Secrets Collected and Reported"]
Shibukawa, Rokuzō ... [et al.] [original works by]; [Asano, Miyoshi (transcribed by)?].
[Nōshū, Iwate, ca. Kaei 7 (1854)]. Manuscript.
A compilation of records of letters and essays regarding attempts by Russia, the Netherlands, and North America to open Japan to trade. The index lists eig ...
Kaika jinkōki (The enlightenment Jinkōki)
Kaika jinkōki ["The enlightenment Jinkōki"]
Takahashi, Takematsu [text by].
Tōkyō: Shōgikudō, [ca. Meiji 18 (1885)].
A short book on the use of the abacus (soroban) in mathematical calculations. The Jinkōki, a text authored by Yoshida Mitsuyoshi (1598-1672, also Kōyū) in the early seventeenth century and acknowledged in the title of this work, is the ol ...
Kakkoku Shoryō Bankoku Chimei Shōran
Shibata, Shūzō.
Edo [Tōkyō] : Shunsōdō, [Kaei 6 (1853)].
A guidebook of place names from around the world, recorded as "the first dictionary of place names [published in Japan]".¹ The author, Shibata Shūzō (1820–1859), was the son of a dried fish seller who lived on Sado Island in his early years. He enjoyed drawing pictures and maps of his local surr ...
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 ...
Kōeki Shojaku Mokuroku Taizen
廣益書籍目録大全 [Kōeki Shojaku Mokuroku Taizen, “A Complete Catalogue of Publications for Public Utility”]
[Yao, Ichibē ... (et al.) (text by)].
Rakuyō [Kyōto]: Yao Ichibē ... [et al.], [ca. Genroku 5 (1692)].
An early woodblock-printed shojaku mokuroku (catalogue of publications) in five volumes, compiled by Kyoto bookseller ...
Kyōiku gakei moji-e (Character-picture shapes for education)
Kyōiku gakei moji-e ["Character-picture shapes for education"]
Utagawa, Kunitoshi, [Katsushika, Hokusai?] [illustrated by].
Shitaya, [Tōkyō]: Yamazaki Gyōzaburō, Kokkadō, Meiji 25 [1892].
A book of moji-e ("character-picture") amusements for children. Moji-e are illustrations that feature Japanese characters (typically hiragana) 'hidden' in the li ...
Light in darkness
Light in darkness = Anchū no kōmyō
Loomis, Henry, Yoshimasu, Takasaburō [text by].
Yokohama: Beikoku Seisho Kaisha, Meiji 39 [1906].
A pamphlet recounting the story of Yoshimasu Takasaburō's conversion to Christianity, by Henry Loomis (1839-1920), a Presbyterian missionary from the US working in Japan. The short work shows through correspondences how ...
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 ...
Miburi Iroha (The Iroha in gestures)
Miburi Iroha ["The Iroha in gestures"]
Tōzaian, Nanboku [preface and text by]; Shōchōrō [Utagawa], Kunimaro, Kitao, Shigemasa [II] [illustrated by].
[Edo]: Yamaguchi, [ca. late Edo period (after 1829)].
An inventive gōkan also known under the title Miburi Iroha-gei, featuring illustrations of people twisted into the shapes of the characters of the Japanese ...
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 ...
Miyako meishoguruma (A trip through the famous places of the capital)
Miyako meishoguruma ["A trip through the famous places of the capital"]
Tōritei Shujin [edited by].
[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. late Edo period (1840-60s)?].
An illustrated guidebook to Kyoto, including information on sightseeing locations, temples, shrines, Gion, annual events, lodgings in the city, and so on. Ikeda Tōritei (1788–1857 ...
Morikosu shotō wage daiichi [translated explanation of the Moluccas, first part]
Morikosu Shotō Wage Daiichi ["Translated Explanation of the Moluccas, First Part"]
[Valentyn, François (original text by)]; Yoshio, Kōsaku, Nishi, Kichibē [translated by].
[Japan, ca. mid to late Edo period (1780-1830s)?]. Manuscript.
An abridged translation of the first chapter of the Uitvoerige Beschryving Der Vyf Moluccos volume of Oud en Nieuw O ...
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 ...
Nankyoku tanken (Expedition to the South Pole)
Nankyoku tanken ["Expedition to the South Pole"]
Shirase, Nobu [text by].
Tōkyō: Hakubunkan, Taishō 2 [1913]. First edition.
A personal account of Japan's first Antarctic expedition (1910-1912) recorded by the expedition's leader, Japanese Army Lieutenant Shirase Nobu (1861–1946). Shirase's crew departed Tokyo on the Kain ...
On John Manjiro, one of the first Japanese residents of the US
Ikoku monogatari: Nakanohama Manjirō ["Story of a foreign country: Nakanohama Manjirō"]
[Author unidentified]; [Kashii, Masateru (hand-copied by)].
[Japan], Kaei 5 [1852]. Manuscript.
A manuscript recounting the experiences of the Japanese boy Manjirō (later known as Nakanohama Manjirō, John Manjirō, and John Mung). In 1841, fourteen-year-old Manjirō was s ...
On the Human Body, with a Diagram of Sign Language
Jintai Mondō ["Questions and Answers About the Human Body"]
Shirotani, Ken [text by]; Nakayama, Chikakazu [proofread by].
Kyōto: Murakami Kanbē , Meiji 9 [1876].
An introductory text to the human body, presumably for schoolage students. The work includes several colour woodblockprinted vignettes of body parts and an illustration of English sign language ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
On the True Spirit of Europe
"欧州正気論"
Church, R.W. [original text by]; Miyagawa, Tsuneteru, Doi, Michiyo [translated by].
[Japan]: Beikoku Seikyō Shorui Gaisha, Meiji 18 [1885].
A Japanese translation of a text, possibly by Richard William Church, on the history of Christianity in Greece, Italy, and Germany. Miyagawa Tsuneteru (1857-1936), one of the translators, was a Christian m ...
Onna imagawa oshie no tamazusa: shinkoku kaisei (Precepts for women and teachings in excellent compositions: newly cut and amended)
Onna imagawa oshie no tamazusa: shinkoku kaisei ["Precepts for women and teachings in excellent compositions: newly cut and amended"]
Ikeda, Zenjirō [Keisai Eisen] [edited by]; Keisai, Eisen [illustrated by].
Tōto [Edo]: Kansendō, Tenpō 14 [1843].
A pedagogical text for girls and young women, edited and illustrated by the artist Keisai Eisen (1790&n ...
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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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