Kanazōshi

nihongo|Kanazōshi|仮名草子| describes a type of printed Japanese book that was produced primarily in Kyoto between 1600 and 1680. The term literally means “books written in "kana"” ("kana" being the phonetic Japanese syllabary that is simpler to read and write than "kanji", or Chinese ideographs). The designation thus derives from the fact that the text of these books was written either entirely in "kana" or in a mixture of "kana" and "kanji". "Kanazōshi" are considered to be a transitional genre, bridging the gap between medieval romances and the first high point of Edo period (1600-1868) literature, the "ukiyozōshi" composed by Ihara Saikaku (1642-93). The genre comprises an unlikely assortment of essays, stories, travel guides for famous places, military chronicles, religious writings, and critical pieces. Despite the lack of uniformity in content, "kanazōshi" are classified as a distinct genre primarily based on the fact that they were the first literary works to be printed and widely circulated in Japan. Scholars also maintain that "kanazōshi" are generally of higher literary quality and more realistic than medieval forms, such as the "otogizōshi", that preceded them.

Characteristics of "Kanazōshi"

Before the 1620s, the only books available in Japan were handwritten manuscripts. The printed "kanazōshi" were less expensive and more widely available than these earlier manuscripts. They are thus considered the first example of commercial literature produced in Japan. One should keep in mind, however, the comparatively limited nature of their popularity. The cost of a single volume, was still prohibitive, costing roughly the equivalent of what a laborer could earn for two or three days of work (4000 of japanese curency). Moreover, the books, because of their small print runs (often only a few hundred copies), rarely circulated beyond Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo, the publishing centers in premodern Japan.

Despite these limitations, the appearance of these books amounted to an important new trend in literary production. Closely tied to the rise of Japan's urban centers, the growing economic power of the "chōnin" (urban commoner) class, the improvement of literacy rates, and the advent of woodblock print technology, "kanazōshi" emerged as a new, distinctly plebeian form of literature. Its authors arose from the educated portion of the population, including scholars, Buddhist priests, courtiers, samurai and rōnin. But its readership consisted mostly of non-aristocratic residents of Japan's growing cities.

In contrast to "otogizōshi" and other forms of medieval Japanese tales, "kanazōshi" tended to be more realistic, with fewer supernatural or fantastic elements. Whether meant to entertain or inform, "kanazōshi" narratives conveyed more details about the characters and their setting, contained more natural dialogue, and showcased a more representative slice of life.

Although more skillfully written than "otogizōshi", "kanazōshi" are considered less advanced in terms of structure and wordplay than the subsequent "ukiyozōshi" composed by Saikaku. Reflecting the tastes of their comparatively less sophisticated audience, "kanazōshi" often relied upon simple puns to generate humor. For instance, the term “hanatare”, which can mean both a runny nose or a drooping flower, is used to describe a young child with the family name of Fujiwara (wisteria field). This type of pun typifies the level of humor found in "kanazōshi".

Each "kanazōshi" book consisted of between one to twelve slim volumes of twenty to thirty leaves each, with roughly one-fifth of the space devoted to illustrations. Book prices were principally determined by the number of volumes.

Development of "Kanazōshi"

Scholars generally divide "kanazōshi" into two groups: early "kanazōshi" and late "kanazōshi".

early "kanazōshi"

Early "kanazōshi" were written mainly by the educated classes, including lesser samurai, courtiers, Buddhist priests, and scholars. Because these works were written by highly educated authors, they were often didactic, promoting moral behavior based on the previous generation’s sense of morality. The early "kanazōshi" are broken down into three categories: works meant to entertain, works meant to intellectually enlighten, and works written to educate people about practical matters. "Kanazōshi" which were written to entertain include war tales, romances and parodies of earlier classics such as Ise monogatari. Those written to promote intellectual growth mainly deal with reconciling the ideas of Buddhism, Shintoism and Confucianism. The more practical "kanazōshi" include travel guides, samples of well written love letters, and critiques of famous courtesans and kabuki actors.

late "kanazōshi"

The late "kanazōshi" are those works which were written in the latter half of the 17th century. Unlike the early "kanazōshi", the late "kanazōshi" were written mostly by commoners for a commer readership. This shift in the social class of the authors is reflected in the fact that the protagonists in the later works are usually commoners. In addition, the language used in the later "kanazōshi" is more realistic, and male and female characters speak using structures that are specific to their gender. Many scholars believe that this shift towards realism paved the way for "ukiyozōshi", a later genre which is partially defined by its intense realism.

Representative Authors and Works

Famous "kanazōshi" writers include Asai Ryōi (d. 1691) and Suzuki Shôsan (1579-1655). Main works include: Nise monogatari (Tale of Falsehoods: A Parody of Tales of Ise), "Shimizu monogatari" (Tale of Shimizu), and "Tokkaidō meishoki" (Famous Sites along the Tokkaido Highway). The most celebrated example of the genre is Ryōi’s "Ukiyo monogatari" (Tales of the Floating World, 1661), a comedic tale about a young man named Hyōtarō who gets himself into all kinds of trouble with gambling, prostitutes, and the like, and then learns valuable lessons about the proper way to live one’s life from town elders.

Printed Resources

Lane, Richard. “The Beginnings of the Modern Japanese Novel: Kana-zoshi, 1600-1682.” "Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies". Vol. 20, Nos. 3-4 (Dec., 1957), pp. 644-701. " Tales of Genji, by Lady Murasaki in medievil japan".Teiji, Ichiko. “Kanazōshi ni tsuite.” "Bunka kōza", Vol. 1, No. 3 (Tokyo: Daitokyu Kinen Bunko, 1962), pp. 1-14.

A 45-volume collection of "kanazōshi"(仮名草子集成), containing approximately 200 stories, is currently being published by the Tokyodo Publishing Company(東京堂).

External links

*ja icon [http://www.konan-wu.ac.jp/~kikuchi/kana/index.html 仮名草子] Lists of Kanazōshi works and studies works.