Nihon sankai meibutsu zue 日本山海名物図絵

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Commentary by Kaguraoka Yōko

Posted December 3, 2017

Original unedited text in Japanese follows

Nihon sankai meibutsu zue (Illustrations of famous products of the mountains and seas) of 1754 (Hōreki 4) deals with celebrated specialty products (meibutsu) and industries (meisan) from various regions across Japan. In the mid-Edo period, there was an increase in local and regional specialty goods, as commodities and plant products became popular topics of conversation. In 1799 (Kansei 11), the Nihon sankai meisan zue 日本山海名産図会 (Illustrations of famous products of Japanese mountains and sea) edited by Kimura Kenkadō 木村兼葭堂 (1736–1802), was published, and it was a pioneering project in the same vein.

The publisher of this work, Sekishōkaku Chigusaya Shinuemon (赤松閣千種屋新右衛門), was in fact the author Hirase Tessai 平瀬徹斎 (act. c. 1751–1764). However, the introduction to this work states by the time of this book’s release Tessai had passed away, leaving his son Hirase Kibō (平瀬鬼望) to act in his place. Although the request for publication was submitted in 1751 (Hōreki 1), the actual publication did not take place until 1754, perhaps due to this special circumstance. The Osaka artist Hasegawa Mitsunobu produced a great many illustrated books (ehon) and designs for other type of books with illustrations.

Hanjian Matsuki Tantan (半時庵松木淡々), a haikai poet known for establishing the Tantan lineage of haiku poetry, composed the preface. Volume 1 focuses primarily on coal mining, volume 2 onagricultural crops, volumes 3 and 4 on noted specialty products from different regions of Japan, and volume 5 on seafood and marine products. The book also depicts manufacturing methods and market views in detail. This work aims to represent specific scenes based on the collection of information by visiting the actual sites and through interviews with local people knowledgeable about the products and industries. The book does contain some images that are clearly of a fanciful nature such as those of kappa (mythical water-dwelling creatures) or giant Owari radishes (daikon). Nonetheless, the book is very successful in conveying to us today a sense of the range of famous products and industries from every region during this period.

This text continued in circulation some time after the initial printing in 1754 since there were subsequent printings in 1798 (Kansei 10), 1829 (Bunsei 12), and 1840 (Tenpō 11); many copies have survived. The first printing was produced in the ōhon format (26 x 18 cm), but the Pulverer copy is hanshi-sized (22.5x 15.8 cm). Although the work lists a publication date of 1754, it is in fact a later printing of an unknown date in which all the volumes have been assembled and re-bound under one cover.

書名日本山海名物図絵

執筆者神楽岡幼子

日本各地の産業や名物名産に取材したものである。江戸時代中期、物産会や本草会が話題になるなど諸国の名物名産に人々の興味が注がれていた。寛政１１年、同趣向の『日本山海名産図会』を木村兼葭堂が著すが、その先駆的企画であった。版元は赤松閣千種屋新右衛門。千種屋新右衛門は作者平瀬徹斎の名でもあるが、序跋によると徹斎は故人となっており、本書刊行時は息子の平瀬鬼望に代替わりをしている。出版願は宝暦元年に出されているものの刊行が宝暦４年となったのはその辺りの事情に起因すると思われる。絵師の長谷川光信は大坂で活躍した絵師で、絵本や絵入本の挿絵を多く残した。序は俳諧師として淡々流を広めた半時庵松木淡々。巻一では鉱山関係、巻二では作物類、巻三・巻四では諸国の名産品、巻五では海産物類を中心に取り上げ、場合によってはその製法や市の光景なども事細かに描く。実際に現場を取材したり、その道に詳しい人に取材するなどして、具体的な風景を写すことに努めている。河童の図や巨大な尾張大根の図など現実ばなれした絵も含まれるが、当時の産業のありようや諸国の名物名産を今に伝えた功績は大きい。宝暦４年の初版以降も長く世に流通し、寛政１０年、文政１２年、天保１１年と後印が重ねられ、現存諸本も数多く伝えられている。初版は大本で出されたが、プルヴェラー本は半紙本であり、宝暦４年の刊記を持つが、刊年不明の後印本で、一冊本に改装されている。

Selected readings:

Hase Akihisa 長谷章久, ed., Shokoku no maki 1『諸国の巻1』, vol. 16 (1982), Nihon meisho fūzoku zue『日本名所風俗図会』, ed. Ikeda Yasaburō 池田弥三郎, Noma Kōshin 野間光辰, and Minakami Tsutomu 水上勉, 19 vols. (Tokyo: Kadokawa, 1979–1988).

Copies in other collections:

Ishikawa Prefectural History Museum, Kanazawa

Kyoto University

Kyushu University, Fukuoka

National Institute of Japanese Literature, Tokyo

Nishio City Iwase Bunko, Aichi Prefecture

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London

Tenri University, Tenri Central Library, Nara Prefecture
Tokyo Metropolitan Library

University of Cambridge

Victoria & Albert Museum, London