Mitsu no tomoe 三都廼友会

FSC-GR-780.210

Commentary by Suzuki Jun

Posted June 2, 2017

Original unedited text in Japanese follows

Mitsu no tomoe (Gathering of friends of the three cities)is an illustrated kyōka poetry book (kyōkabon 狂歌本) with a preface by Takinomoto Chitake (d. 1843). Kyōkadō Shimando wrote the postscript, explaining that:

Imitating the shunkyōjō (an album of New Year’s mitsumono, or “three-link sequences”) by their wise old master Magao, several students of the orthodox Yomo poetry group (Yomo-gawa 四方側) led by the esteemed Takinomoto joined together to compose poetry. Many of these poems are included here as Mitsu no tomo 三都の友 [The friends of the three cities (Edo, Kyoto, Osaka)].

The name Magao refers to Shikatsube no Magao 鹿都部真顔 (1753–1829), who edited and published a shunkyōjō in the Kansei (1789–1801) and Bunsei eras (1818–1830) entitled Yomo no haru (四方の巴流). Magao’s student Takinomoto Chitake and editor of this volume learned from these, and as Magao’s successor Chitake became a principal poetry judge in the Yomo group. The subjects for the kyōka are organized as “Flowers of the Capital” (Miyako no hana 都の花), “Moon over Azuma” (Azuma no tsuki 吾妻の月), and “Snow in Nanba” (Nanba no yuki 難波廼雪). For this publication Chitake assembled kyōka by students from across Japan who were affiliated with Magao’s Yomo group. The beginning of the book (pp. 2–5 on the website) presents poems by those acknowledged as the judges. These are contained in cartouches that denote the established art and literary theme of snow, moon, and flowers (setsugekka雪月花).

Takashima Chiharu and Totoya Hokkei produced the three double-page illustrations in the book. The first is Chiharu’s depiction of the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto (signed Yūsai 融斎; sealed Chiharu千春) (pp. 6–7 on the website). The second and third compositions by Hokkei portray the Sumida River in Edo (signed Hokkei北渓; sealed Aoigaoka 葵岡), and a snowy scene at an Osaka restaurant (signed and sealed Hokkei 北渓) (pp. 18–19 and 32–33 on the website, respectively). The addition in each of gold paint and silver dust in what is an otherwise subdued compositional style conveys the sumptuousness and elegance typically associated with shunkyōjō. This work is a prequel to Tokiwa no taki (FSC-GR-780.211).

署名　三都廼友会

執筆者鈴木淳

高島千春、魚屋北渓画、滝本千丈（たきのもとちたけ）編。春興絵入り狂歌本。多色摺り。狂歌堂嶋人の跋に「こは真顔老師の春興帖にならひて、瀑布下うし四方正流の人々、ひとつ心を種として、万のことの葉よみ出せる歌をあつめ、三都の友とかは書せし」（これは真顔老先生の春興帖に倣って、滝本大人率いる四方側の正統派の人々が、心を一つにして詠み出した多くの歌を集め、「三都の友」と外題を付けて）云々とあるように、鹿都部真顔が編者となって寛政期と文政期に板行した四方側の春興帖『四方の巴流』に倣い、真顔の跡を継ぎ、四方側判者の中心となった滝本千丈が編集したもの。絵は、千春の京都清水寺、北渓の江戸隅田川、大坂「難波の雪」の三図で、いずれも落ち着いた絵風の中に、金泥や銀砂子を描き入れるなど、春興帖らしく贅を凝らしている。「難波の雪」は大坂堂島辺りの料亭であろうか。狂歌の題は、「都の花」「吾妻の月」「難波廼雪」で、滝本千丈が諸国の真顔の門流四方側の狂歌を集めたもので、最初に雪月花を象った枠の中に判者と目される人々の狂歌を掲げる。絵の署名は「融斎（千春）」「北渓（葵岡）」「北渓」。

Selected readings:

Jack Hillier, The Art of the Japanese Book, 2 vols. (London: Sotheby’s Publications by Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd., 1987), see esp. vol. 2, 836–38.

Copies in other collections:

Kagawa University, Takamatsu