Santo meisho ichiran

Santo meisho ichiran  三都名所一覧

FSC-GR-780.206

Commentary by Suzuki Jun

Posted June 2, 2017

Original unedited text in Japanese follows

The editor of this illustrated book of kyōka (kyōkabon 狂歌絵本) is Umenoya Kakushi (dates unknown),a judge for the Edo Nihonbashi-chō poetry group (Nihonbashi-chō ren 日本橋本町連). The mikaeshi, a printed sheet on the inside front cover, lists Odamaki Tei (Umenoya’s pen name) as the block-holder. In his preface Kakushi writes that, “Lately some close friends consulted with each other and held the usual  [poetry] gathering. Their subjects were some of the celebrated sites in Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo. They appointed someone lacking in talent—that is, me—to moderate as a judge.”  This passage tells us that the book had its beginnings in a kyōka gathering of members of the Nihonbashi-chō group that had as its theme the meisho, or “famous places,” of the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo. The poems were scored, and those with the highest scores were presented in this volume. Designs by Totoya Hokkei illustrate the kyōka, which appear in the following order: (from Edo) “Nihonbashi” (日本橋), “Ueno” (上野), “Ryōgoku” (両国), “Asakusa” (浅草), and “Tile Makers from Imado” (Imado kawara-shi 今戸瓦師) (pp. 2–10 on the website); (from Osaka) “Umbrella Shops of Nagamachi” (Nagamachi kasahari 長町傘張), “Tenma” (天満), “Tennōji” (天王寺), “Sumiyoshi” (住吉), and “Dōtonbori” (道頓堀) (pp. 11–19 on the website); and (from Kyoto) “Gion” (祇園), “Shijō-kawara” (四条川原), “Kiyomizu” (清水), “Shimabara” (嶋原), “A Year’s End Pilgrimage to Ise Shrine” (納会伊勢参宮Nōkai Ise sangū), and “Potters in Gojō” (Gojō suemono-shi五条陶物師) (pp. 20–30 on the website). All are double-page illustrations except for the half-folio images of the “Tile Makers from Imado,” “Umbrella Shops of Nagamachi,” and “Potters in Gojō” (pp. 10, 11, and 30 on the website, respectively). Each of these half-folio scenes are presented with the conceit of being “simultaneous presentations” (tōza当座) because they depict scenes that were occurring on the day of the poetry competition.

Santo meisho ichiran (A glimpse at famous places in the three capitals) is not dated but may have been published sometime in the Bunsei era (1818–1830). Although Totoya Hokkei’s illustrations do not necessarily showcase his skill, a number of the compositions are gentle landscape views, and the use of soft, delicate colors is tasteful. The influence of other works, including Katsushika Hokusai’s 1799 Azuma asobi (FSC-GR-780.235), is apparent. This volume was formerly in collection of the Japanese art dealer and collector Hayashi Tadamasa 林忠正(1853–1906).

書名　　        三都名所一覧

執筆者                  鈴木淳

魚屋北渓画、梅廼屋鶴子撰の狂歌絵本。苧環亭の蔵板。文政頃刊。淡色摺り。梅廼屋鶴子は江戸日本橋本町連の判者で、苧環亭はその号。絵柄は凡庸であるが、穏和な風景画が多く、淡泊な色使いも趣味がよい。北斎画『東遊』などの影響が散見される。鶴子の序に「このころおのかしたしうせる人たちかたらひあはせて、京なには大江戸の中に名たゝる所々を題となして、あされ歌よみなましなといひて、かたのことくとりいとなみて、ふさえなるおのれにおふせて判者とはおきてさためつ」（最近、自分が親しくしている仲間が話し合って、京都、大坂、江戸の名所を題にして、いつものように執り行って、才能のない私を判者には定め置いた）とあり、三都の名所を題に催した狂歌会を背景に成立したことが分かる。三都の名所絵は（江戸）日本橋、上野、両国、浅草、今戸瓦師、（大坂）長町傘張、天満、天王寺、住吉、道頓堀、（京都）祇園、四条川原、清水、嶋原、納会伊勢参宮、五条陶物師。これらの名所を題に、点取り狂歌会を催し、高点の狂歌を採用して、絵と合わせて掲出したもの。半丁の職人尽くし絵の「今戸瓦師」、「長町傘張」、「五条陶物師」にはいずれも「当座」とあるので、これらは、狂歌会当日に出された題である。林忠正旧蔵。

Selected readings:

Suga Chikuho 菅竹浦, ed., Kyōka shomoku shūsei  『狂歌書目集成』(Nagoya: Hoshino Shoten, 1936; repr., Kyoto: Rinsen Shoten, 1977).

Copies in other collections:

National Diet Library, Tokyo

Tokyo National Museum