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Culture of the Edo period (4) ― Kasei Culture

A townsfolk-oriented culture that developed primarily in Edo, in which the publication of kokkeibon books of humorous stories and ukiyo-e woodblock prints flourished, while research on Japanese classical literature and Rangaku Dutch/Western studies developed into mature forms, as well

Encyclopedia Edo period

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This form of culture flourished primarily among Edo townsfolk during the late Edo period around the Bunka and Bunsei eras (1804–1830). Amid this period of long-term social stability, cultural activities reached an apex, and the cultural level of commoners such as townsfolk and farmers grew still higher in proportion to their economic power.

             In the realm of arts pursued for enjoyment, such as sado (the tea ceremony), kodo (the incense ceremony), shodo calligraphy, and haikai poetry, establishment of the iemoto system of hierarchical lineages led to popular forms spreading nationwide, and new venues for social interaction formed in major cities and agricultural communities alike.

             The “Kasei period” of the Bunka and Bunsei eras was a period in which the shogunate’s grip on government rule was loosened somewhat through the Kansei Reforms. The culture of amusement and entertainment came to incorporate critical elements, and in Edo, amusement districts appeared in the Ryogoku, Ueno Yamashita, and Asakusa Okuyama neighborhoods. Forms of entertainment intended for the masses, such as light comedy, rakugo comic storytelling, and street performances — as well as show tents — developed rapidly. This lively energy extended beyond the realm of daily life too, and travel throughout the country flourished, nominally for the purpose of making pilgrimages to temples and shrines, including the Grand Shrine of Ise. This brought the attendant publishing of many travel works and observational records, such as Tokaidochu hizakurige (“Hoofing It along the Tokaido Route”), which was a kokkeibon (book of humorous stories) penned by Ikku Juppensha. Meanwhile, ukiyo-e woodblock prints of landscapes and scenery by artists like Hokusai Katsushika and Hiroshige Utagawa attained popularity, as well.

             Groundbreaking developments also took place in the realm of academics and research. Tadataka Ino carried out nationwide coastline surveys to compile his Dainihon Enkai Yochi Zenzu (“Complete Survey of the Japanese Coast”), and, looking outward to regions across the sea, Philipp Franz von Siebold founded a medical school in Nagasaki, and Koan Ogata a Rangaku (Dutch/Western learning) school in Osaka.

Literature and art

An outstanding popular-fiction author of the late Edo period who created such genres as yellow-cover books, gay-quarter novelettes, and Edo-period reading books 1761-1816

An outstanding writer of popular fiction of the late Edo period; the author of Nanso Satomi hakken den 1767-1848

Edo-period author of popular stories who achieved sudden popularity with his Tokaidochu hizakurige (Hoofing It along the Tokaido Route)

An Edo-period best-seller of Ikku Jippensha’s that follows Yaji and Kita on their travels filled with curious mishaps; it ushered in the golden era of books of humorous stories

A kabuki playwright active during the Bunka (1804-1818) and Bunsei (1818-1830) eras. He achieved great success by writing about commoners of the lower strata of Edo society

A representative haiku poet of the late Edo period, who left behind about 20,000 haiku

りゅうおいたねひこ。江戞時代埌期の戯䜜者。江戞に生たれ、絵画や俳諧を嗜み特に芝居通ずしお知れた。寛政改革埌に隆盛をみた合巻を手がけ、歌舞䌎仕立おの文䜓ず圹者絵などを取り入れた『正本補』しょうほんじたおで地歩を固める。以埌、颚俗考蚌に優れた著䜜も倚く残し、浮䞖絵垫の歌川囜貞ずは協働関係にあった。

江戞時代埌期の人情本䜜家。曞肆経営の䞀方、戯䜜者を志しお匏亭䞉銬や柳亭皮圊に入門。倩保3幎1832に『春色梅児誉矎』しゅんしょくうめごよみにお人気を博し、続線も刊行。江戞の颚俗や自然を的確に捉え、合䜜によっお堎面描写を重ねる䜜颚は為氎流ず称され、明治期の硯友瀟文孊にも圱響を䞎えた。

江戞時代埌期の囜孊者、民俗孊者。䞉河囜に生たれたず䌝わり、賀茂真淵の門人から囜孊を孊ぶ。倩明3幎1783より諞囜を巡り、日本各地の習俗や庶民生掻を取材。生涯にわたり旅を続け、その蚘録は『真柄遊芧蚘』などの著䜜ずしお発衚された。文化8幎1811には秋田藩に居を構え地誌補䜜にも埓事した。

しきおいさんば。江戞時代埌期の戯䜜者。江戞に生たれ、本屋に奉公しお戯䜜に芪しむ。19歳のずきに『倩道浮䞖出星操』 おんどううきよのでづかいを発衚。垂井の生掻を排萜を亀えながら描き出す黄衚玙本や遊里に取材した排萜本などを倚数著し、江戞戯䜜の正統な䜜颚を受け継いだ。

Scholarship

A German physician and naturalist who served as a physician for the Dutch trading house in Dejima during the Edo period

Dutch-learning scholar of the Edo period noted for opening Tekitekisai School and fostering numerous distinguished public figures, and for contributing to the popularization of smallpox vaccination

A geographical surveyor of the Edo period who created the first map of Japan using surveying techniques

ひろせたんそう。江戞時代埌期の儒孊者、教育者。亀井南冥・昭陜父子に぀いお儒孊を孊ぶも病を患い、その埌は独孊で孊問を続ける。文化2幎1805、郷里の豊埌囜にお私塟を開き、埌に咞宜園かんぎえんず称した。勉孊の他、人間性を育む厳栌な芏埋を旚ずし、党囜から延べ3000人を超える入門者が集った。

らいさんよう。江戞時代埌期の儒孊者、挢詩人。儒孊者の父のもず倧坂に生たれ、18歳のずきに江戞に出お経孊や囜孊を孊ぶ。源平䞡氏から埳川氏に至る歊家の歎史をたずめた歎史曞『日本倖史』を20幎以䞊の歳月を費やしお著す。儒教の倧矩名分論に基づく尊王思想を展開し、幕末の尊王運動にも圱響を及がした。

Fine art

A literatus painter of the middle and late Edo period. Though he was a samurai in the service of his lord, he devoted himself to painting, writing Chinese poetry, and playing the qin (Chinese zither), and at age 50 he left this service and traveled about the country

A master of ukiyo-e prints in the late Edo period, known also for his eccentricities

A master painter of actor portraits who surpassed even Sharaku in popularity

A ukiyo-e artist of the late Edo period who influenced Vincent van Gogh

An ukiyo-e artist of the end of the Edo period known for his outlandish compositions and innovative painting style

Founder of the Edo Rinpa School of painting, who drew inspiration from Sotatsu Tawaraya and Korin Ogata to revitalize the Rinpa style in Edo

あおうどうでんぜん。江戞時代埌期の掋颚画家。陞奥囜に生たれ、癜河城䞻の束平定信に呜じられ、銅版画研究をはじめる。埌に叞銬江挢の門䞋で孊び、やがお蘭孊者の協力のもず銅版画や油絵の技法を習埗した。江戞の名所颚景を倧小の銅版画で描き、幕末の葛食北斎や歌川広重の浮䞖絵颚景版画に圱響を䞎えた。

ごしゅん。江戞時代埌期の絵垫。初期の画号は束村月枓。京郜に生たれ、䞎謝蕪村に垫事し南画ず俳諧を孊ぶ。その埌、円山応挙ず関係を深め写生画の圱響を受けお新たな画颚を確立し、俳諧にも通じる詩趣の挂う花鳥画や颚景画を描く。四条高倉に居䜏したため、四条掟ず呌ばれ隆盛を誇った。

すずききい぀。江戞時代埌期の絵垫。江戞に生たれ、幌少期より江戞琳掟の代衚的絵垫である酒井抱䞀の内匟子ずなり、画力が認められしばしば代䜜も勀めたずいわれる。その教えを基瀎ずしながらも、やがお装食性に富んだ独自の画颚を確立し、江戞琳掟の新たな担い手ずしお掻躍する。

References

  5. 蟻惟雄 監修,矎術出版瀟
  6. 詳説日本史図録線集委員䌚 ç·š,山川出版瀟
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Last updated
March 7, 2024