A closer look at the collaborative aspects of the Late Edo-period printing industry, the various techniques that were employed, and the way this process shaped the final product.
With this thesis, I want to focus on Kuniyoshi’s supernatural prints portraying one Japanese warrior house in particular: the Taira 平 clan. The Taira clan, also known as the Heike 平家, was one of...Show moreWith this thesis, I want to focus on Kuniyoshi’s supernatural prints portraying one Japanese warrior house in particular: the Taira 平 clan. The Taira clan, also known as the Heike 平家, was one of the most prominent noble families of the Heian period (794 - 1185), even controlling the Emperor until they were finally defeated. Their tragic demise during the decisive naval Battle of Dan-no-Ura 壇ノ浦の戦い (1185) of the Genpei War 源平合戦 (1180 - 1185) at the hands of the Minamoto 源 clan, has gone down as one of the most infamous events in Japanese history. The rise and fall of the Taira has been popularized by the canonical work Heike Monogatari 平家物語, which describes the events leading up to and during the Genpei War. Although the author and the date of creation of the Heike Monogatari are unknown and much of its contents have been proven to be fictious, the Heike Monogatari has remained as one of the most important Japanese pieces of literature throughout the ages. Thus, it is no wonder that the tragic story of the Heike still captured the imagination of ukiyo-e artists during the late Edo period (1600 - 1868). By visually analyzing supernatural prints featuring the Taira clan of Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798 - 1861), I hope to shed light on some elements underexplored by previous researchers. Rather than simple political satire, I argue that the charm of these prints for Edo townspeople was actually far wider and more varied. Dissecting the prints’ artistic and cultural elements one by one, I will attempt to lay bare the period eye and to surmise how a person living in the Edo period could have enjoyed them. I hope my research might deepen our shared understanding of Edo popular culture and its social and cultural background.Show less
In this thesis, I will emphasize the relationship between the visual depiction of Japanese historical warriors in Tokugawa period (1603–1868 AD) woodblock prints produced in nineteenth century...Show moreIn this thesis, I will emphasize the relationship between the visual depiction of Japanese historical warriors in Tokugawa period (1603–1868 AD) woodblock prints produced in nineteenth century Tokugawa Japan on the one hand and the historical imagination among the commoners or chōnin (“townspeople”) who inhabited the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo) and who were mainly responsible for producing and consuming warrior prints on the other. In order to accomplish this, I will use the warrior Minamoto Raikō (948–1021 AD) as a case study. Furthermore, I will relate this historical imagination, or historical consciousness, among the Edo chōnin with their cultural identity as Edokko (“child of Edo”). That is, I will focus on what cultural meanings ancient and medieval warriors in warrior prints had, i.e. what they signified, for the Edo chōnin regarding their Edokko identity.Show less
Because of the low price and availability to all social classes, sugoroku 双六 boardgames were a perfect way to illustrate the contemporary way of thinking of the people in the Edo and Meiji period....Show moreBecause of the low price and availability to all social classes, sugoroku 双六 boardgames were a perfect way to illustrate the contemporary way of thinking of the people in the Edo and Meiji period. In sugoroku games published at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868) and the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912), the themes that were most important to the people of Japan are clearly visible. When looking closely at these games, the change between which parts the emphasis was on can be seen. At first glance these changes might not be as prominent, but when looking at the cultural memory of the people of Japan, it is clear this has also affected in what way the sugoroku games have been produced.Show less
This thesis explores the relationship between censorship of the authoritarian government of early modern Japan and the sharebon and kibyoshi sub-genres of gesaku literature, with reference to M.E....Show moreThis thesis explores the relationship between censorship of the authoritarian government of early modern Japan and the sharebon and kibyoshi sub-genres of gesaku literature, with reference to M.E. Berry's notion of the private public sphere (1998), and compares the situation of these literary sub-genres with the situation of ukiyo-e prints.Show less
