Study of Publishing media and Japanese Literature in the Edo period

During the Edo period, Japan began to publish full-fledged commercial publications for the first time. Combined with the popular culture that emerged in Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo, the classics, newly created works, and practical books that had been passed down up to that time were printed one after another.

In this course, we will focus mainly on publishers who were active in the early Edo period and their publications, relationships among bookstores, and the book publication process in the context of contemporary cultural circumstances.

Edo period, publishing culture, classics

1) Guidance
2) The Edo period and the beginning of commercial publishing
3) Publications of the early Edo period (1): Old print editions
4) Publications in the early Edo period (2) : Reprints
5) Production costs, prices, and publication status
6) The spread of publishing culture and relevant issues, especially "kamikata" and "Edo"
7) Emergence of copyright awareness
8) The trend of amorous books: "Kamikata" and "Edo"
9) Edo publishing in the Genroku period: Focusing on a few bookstores
10) Developing organizations: Cooperation and conflict in publishing among the three cities (1)
11) Cooperation and conflict in publishing among the three cities (2): Illicit publications
12) Cooperation and conflict in publishing among the three cities (3): Publication of books related to the Nakasendo
13) Edo literary publishing (1)
14) Edo literary publishing (2)
15) Summary: Course summary, instructions for the final essay, course survey

Syllabus (Japanese site only)