Title: Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu (An Illustrated Description of Three Countries), Dated Tenmei 5 (1785), Circa 1786-1830. An Early Manuscript Edition, Faithfully Copying the Text Format and Illustrations. With 30 Pages of Illustrations. Wormed Covers
Author: Shihei Hayashi; Unknown Copyist
Condition: Good
A Late Edo Period, late 18th to early 19th century manuscript edition of Hayashi’s Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu, known as the Illustrated Description of Three Countries. This would be one of the handwritten copies that was produced shortly after the Shogunate Banning of Hayashi’s work, and before the European Titsingh/Klaproth edition that was printed in 1832.
First penned in 1785, and published in 1786, the work represents one of the earliest attempts to define Japan in terms of its outer boundaries, presenting a modern effort to distinguish Japan from the neighboring nations.
The work focuses on three surrounding nations: the Joseon Dynasty (Korea), the Ryukyu Kingdom (Ryukyu Islands/Okinawa) and Ezo (Hokkaido), as well as the yet uninhabited Bonin Islands. There is a particular focus on the Ainu people of Ezo, displaying their culture, tools, and appearances.
There are 30 pages of woodblock illustrations, showing the customs and attire of the Ainu people. Amongst village scenes and detailing in attire, there is also part of an Iomante ceremony depicted, where a hand-raised brown bear cub is ceremonially killed, under the notion that the soul merely returns to its god-world, as well as an illustration of a cub in its pen/cage.
This copy was likely made using an original printed edition for reference, and the copyist clearly did their best to be as faithful as possible to the original, trying to exactly copy the text format and placement compared to the original, as well as the illustrations, with many facial depictions and shading remaining the same.
A military and political theorist of the Sendai Domain, Hayashi Shihei was deeply concerned regarding the rise of the Western World’s military and naval power, especially the presence of Russia in East Asia. Thus, he saw as a need for Japan to strengthen its defences and lobbied the Tokugawa Shogunate for a strengthening of Japan's defenses and advocated supplementing traditional Samurai training with courses in Western military science.
Asides from this work, he published several other texts including Kaikoku Heidan in 1791, a work which invited significant misfortune upon him.
As his works were published without authorization from the Shogunate and critiqued foreign trade, he quickly fell out of trade, with his works becoming banned, as well the original woodblock printings plates destroyed. With that in mind, many subsequent copies that exist were produced by hand, as there was still significant demand for it.
Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu did not see any further printing until a copy was taken to Siberia, and later Paris, by Isaac Titsingh, where he produced a French translation. After his death, the printed original and Titsingh's translation were purchased, and in 1832, the Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland supported a posthumous abridged publication of Titsingh's French translation.
One manuscript in quarto (27.7 x 20.3 cm), 50 leaves
This volume is in good shape, with heavy wear and worming to the binding. The leaves have been wormed throughout, but mostly to the margins, both inner and outer.