Leiden University Student Repository

Schilling, Christiaan 2015

Shikitei Sanba's Kojitsuke Nendaiki: A populary history of kusazōshi

Bachelor thesis | Japanstudies (BA)

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Shikitei Sanba (1776-1822), a gesaku writer, has made during the height of his career the kibyōshi called Kusazōshi kojitsuke nendaiki: Mata yakinaosu, hachikatsukihime (1802). Kibyōshi are a genre...Show moreShikitei Sanba (1776-1822), a gesaku writer, has made during the height of his career the kibyōshi called Kusazōshi kojitsuke nendaiki: Mata yakinaosu, hachikatsukihime (1802). Kibyōshi are a genre of kusazōshi fiction, which were highly illustrated. The main goal of this work, is to depict the style of prose and illustrations of different eras in the history of kusazōshi both visually and verbally. What makes Kojitsuke Nendaiki interesting to study is that Sanba has taken the story-line of the story Hachikatsuki-hime as material to write a so-called mini encyclopedia of kusazōshi. This study will provide a translation of Kojitsuke Nendaiki. Furthermore it will place the text into its contexts, explore the importance of the work and analyze its content and visuals. The analysis of Kojitsuke Nendaiki’s content in this study will explore how the relationship between ukiyo-e schools has been expressed verbally. Although visual expressions of this relationship have been studied, verbal expressions haven’t. This is how this study will contribute to the studies of Kojitsuke Nendaiki and its contexts. We have also found that Kojitsuke Nendaiki is unique in its execution. The student of Edo-period literature and visual culture will value this material because it gives a wealth of information about the subject in an entertaining way.Show less