{"product_id":"sangoku-tsuran-zusetsu-an-illustrated-description-of-three-countries-1786-the-exceedingly-rare-banned-printed-first-edition-with-31-pages-of-woodblock-illustrations","title":"Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu (An Illustrated Description of Three Countries), 1786. The Exceedingly Rare, Banned, Printed First Edition. With 31 Pages of Woodblock Illustrations","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eSangoku Tsuran Zusetsu (An Illustrated Description of Three Countries), 1786. The Exceedingly Rare, Banned, Printed First Edition. With 31 Pages of Woodblock Illustrations\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Shihei Hayashi\u003cbr\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eToto, Suharaya Ichibe\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAn exceedingly rare, Late Edo Period, 18th century banned first edition of \u003cb\u003eHayashi’s \u003c\/b\u003eSangoku Tsuran Zusetsu, known as the Illustrated Description of Three Countries.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eFirst 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThere are 31 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eA 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAsides from this work, he published several other texts including Kaikoku Heidan in 1791, a work which invited significant misfortune upon him. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAs 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eSangoku 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eIt should be noted that the atlas produced in Tenmei 5 is lacking, though finding both together is extremely rare.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eKokusho records a number of printed first editions held in Japanese institutions, but Worldcat only notes manuscript editions recorded in institution.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eOne volume in quarto (26 x 17.5 cm), 53 leaves\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThis volume is in good shape, with some wear and worming to the binding. The leaves have been wormed throughout, but professionally restored by a prior owner, with some text loss, mostly to the last five leaves.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"That Guy With The Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51632211362103,"sku":null,"price":5000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0281\/1589\/4371\/files\/20251229_000032.jpg?v=1769912563","url":"https:\/\/thatguywiththebooks.com\/products\/sangoku-tsuran-zusetsu-an-illustrated-description-of-three-countries-1786-the-exceedingly-rare-banned-printed-first-edition-with-31-pages-of-woodblock-illustrations","provider":"That Guy With The Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}