Kaika jiman shohen 開化自慢初編

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Commentary by Oikawa Shigeru

Posted December 7, 2016

(Original unedited text in Japanese follows)

The early part of the Meiji period saw the mass production of many educational books on the topic of “civilization and enlightenment” (bunmei kaika 文明開化), a propagandistic slogan introduced by the Meiji government that touted modernization through Westernization. Kaika jiman shohen (The pride of enlightenment, first edition) was produced in Osaka by Yamaguchi Mataichirō (dates unknown). The title praises the merits of bunmei kaika, with the preface stating that, “Putting humor first and foremost, and amidst explosions of side-splitting laughter, this extremely peculiar text happens to serve as an intermediary in the cause of enlightenment.” However, the six protagonists in the story, who refer to themselves as Osaka’s “enlightenment group” (kaika-ren 開化連)— Koeta Butarō, Hanamoto Shian, Imabashi Mochimaru, Edono Norakichi, Sukimino Ushirō, and Namagami Ōbun—are in fact not very successful in their pursuits. Dreaming of making a quick buck, they undertake a variety of new initiatives, such as digging up the land near the temple, Kiyomizudera, in an attempt to find oil reserves, mounting a theatrical production of Chūshingura 忠臣蔵 (Treasury of the loyal retainers) set in the period of “civilization,” or initiating a meeting on the civilizing process. Ultimately, these all end in failure. The names of the principal characters are in the main witty wordplays; however, Namagami Ōbun is probably a parody of the author’s close friend, the writer Kanagaki Robun 仮名垣魯文 (1829–1894). [1]

Kaika jiman shohen includes illustrations by Kawanabe Kyōsai (four openings in vol. 1; three openings in vol. 2); they areeven more humorous than the written text. This is seen, for example, in the last illustration in volume 1. It portrays the loyal retainer Ono Sadakurō acting out the scene on the Yamazaki highway from the Chūshingura tale as he sports Western-style dress and carries a black Western-style umbrella. Another superb representation is seen in the first opening illustration in volume 2. This depicts the standing figure of Yuranosuke, also from Chūshingura tale, reading a secret missive from his son Chikara at the Ichiriki teahouse, which is constructed in a fashionable Western style. In the same image, Ono Kudayū sneaks a peek at the letter downstairs while Okaru snaps a picture upstairs using her very technologically advanced Western camera.

Kyōsai supplied illustrations of various aspects of “civilization and enlightenment” for many of Kanagaki Robun’s works, which skillfully exploited the era of “enlightenment.” Kyōsai also created a number of images for the works of Mantei Ōga万亭応賀 (1818–1890) that expressed disdain for the era of “civilization and enlightenment” in scathing critiques of the thoughtless frivolity of the age. Other contemporary works along the same lines as Kaika jiman shohen include Kaika mondō 開化問答 (Dialogue on enlightenment; 1874), written by Ogawa Tameji 小川為治著 (dates unknown), and Bunmei inaka mondō 文明田舎問答 (Dialogue on rural civilization; 1878), written by Matsuda Toshitari 松田敏足 (1834–1923).

This volume was reprinted in Osaka in 1883 under the title Kokkei shōhō kaigi 滑稽笑抱会議(Council on ridiculous and comic aspirations); the author was Inoue Hisaichirō 井上久一郎 (dates unknown).

[1] The other protagonists have comic associations: Koeta Butarō 肥田武太郎, a wordplay on a the expression “fattened [or rich] pig” (koeta buta 肥えた豚); Hanamoto Shian 花本志庵 (“Thinking Under the Cherry Tree”); Imabashi Mochimaru 今橋持丸 (“Rich Man at Imabashi”); Edono Norakichi 江殿野良吉 (“The Stray Dog of Edo”); and Sukimino Ushirō 鋤蓑卯四郎, a wordplay on “A hoe, a straw raincoat, and a cow” (鋤と蓑と牛), or an allusion to a peasant.

書名開化自慢

執筆者　及川茂　

明治初期には文明開化を啓蒙する書物が量産された。『開化自慢』は大阪の山口又市郎の著作で、開化のメリットを賛美するタイトルであり、序文にも「滑稽を旨として抱腹絶倒のうちに、おのずから開化に進む媒となる奇々妙々の書」と宣伝している。しかしながら実際には大阪の開化連と称する肥田武太郎（肥えた豚）、花本志庵、今橋持丸、江殿野良吉（江戸の野良犬）、鋤蓑卯四郎（鋤と蓑と牛）、名真神鴬文の6人が、一攫千金を夢見ていろいろな新しい事業に手を出す話で、清水寺の近くの土地を掘って石油を探り当てようとしたり、文明の時代の『忠臣蔵』の芝居を演じたり、開化討論会を開催したりするが、結局いずれにも失敗する話である。登場人物にはそれぞれダジャレの名前を付けているが、名真神鶯文は盟友仮名垣魯文のもじりだろう。暁斎の挿絵は原作以上の滑稽さを描いており、洋装にこうもり傘をさして『忠臣蔵』の山崎街道の場面を演じる斧定九郎や、洒落た洋館の一力茶屋で主税からの密書を読む由良之助と階下でそれを盗み読む斧九太夫、階上で文明のカメラを使っているお軽などが見事に描かれている。暁斎は開化の時代を巧みに利用する仮名垣魯文の多くの作品に挿絵を提供して、文明開化の諸相を描いたが、同時に文明開化を毛嫌いする万亭応賀の作品にも多くの挿絵を描いて、軽佻浮薄な開化の時代を痛烈に批判した。同工異曲の絵本に『開化問答』（小川為治著、明治7年）、『文明田舎問答』（松田敏足、明治11年）などがある。

なお本書は明治16年に井上久一郎著『滑稽笑抱会議』の名で、大阪で再刊されている。

Selected readings:

Yamaguchi Seiichi 山口静一and Oikawa Shigeru及川茂, eds., Kawanabe Kyōsai gigashū 『河鍋暁斎戯画集』(Tokyo: Iwanami, 1988), 34–47.

Okitsu Kaname 興津要and Yamaguchi Seiichi山口静一,Vol. 1, Kawanabe Kyōsai sashi-e 『河鍋暁斎挿絵（1）』(Warabi City: Kawanabe Kyōsai Memorial Museum, 1985), 169–72.

Copies in other collections:
National Diet Library, Tokyo

National Institute of Japanese Literature, Tokyo
Kawanabe Kyōsai Memorial Museum, Warabi City