~~ Book 1896130220 ~~

Illustrations of Japanese Life

 
Condition. The book is in Very Good condition. The boards have light soiling. The binding is solid. There is splitting at the head and foot of the spine covering. The front cover woodblock has a piece missing (1 x 1 cm) at the right edge at the mid-point. A few pages (less than 5) have minor edge tears but no tear is greater than 2 cm or extends into the text or image area. The collotype plates are clean, bright and free of foxing or staining. The 45th plate ("Senju Kannon") was misprinted. The letter press title and descriptive paragraph are misprinted at the top of the page facing up. They do not, however, intrude into the image area of the collotype print. A picture of this plate is here.

 
Ogawa, K.
Takashima, S. (Suteta) (descriptions):
Illustrations of Japanese Life, a deluxe edition, K. Ogawa (Tokyo), Sole Agents, Kelly and Walsh (Yokohama, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore), descriptions by S. Takashima, 4to (10 1/2 x 14 1/2 in- 27 x 36.5 cm - occasionally described as "Folio" size), brocade silk boards with recessed panels front and back containing tipped in color woodblock prints on silk, board edges beveled, patterned end papers, all page edges gilt, purple silk tassel ties, vertical format, plain paper, 100 hand colored collotype plates with descriptive captions and commentary printed below the image. Each plate is numbered immediately below the commentary. This book has a slip inserted at the rear which is a Japanese language colophon. It shows a printing and publication date of June, 1895.

This is the only plain paper edition of this title of which I am aware.

The book is variously reported with between 95 and 100 plates. I do not know if they were actually published with the lesser number of plates or if plates were removed. In this book each plate is numbered (1 to 100) so it is simple to determine if a plate is missing. I have reviewed one book with less than 100 plates. This book had 95 plates. The title page was undated whereas it is dated 1896 in this book of 100 plates. In addition, the plates were not numbered.

While not designated as a "Deluxe Edition" this clearly is the top of the line edition of this book. Other editions were printed on crepe paper. Most of those contained 12 images each. However, two volume crepe paper editions were also published containing approximately 50 plates per volume.

The title page carries the date of 1896. This conflicts slightly with the Japanese language colophon which shows Meiji 28 (1895).

In the preface dated May 28, 1896, Ogawa states:

I have to acknowledge my indebtedness to Messrs. Tamamura and S. Kajima, as well as Prof Burton, for several of the plates in this volume.

The following three relevant entries are found in the Wenckstern bibliography.

Illustrations of Japanese life, 100 collotype plates with short description in English by S. Takashima, folio, 1896 (yen 20.--).
-- Another edition in 2 vols. on crepe paper, large 8vo., 1898 (yen 7.--).
-- A third edition in one volume, no date (yen 1.20).

Wenckstern, Bibliography of the Japanese Empire - 1894-1906

 
For information on Kazumasa Ogawa, click here.

  
The "Geisha" (Singing Girl) 
  
  
The Cherry
  
Japanese Babies
  
Buddhist Priests Conspicuous
  
Venturing Out in the Rain 
  
  
Letter Writing
  
Morning Toilet
  
An Accident 
  
  
Shinto Priest at Prayer
  
"Sayonara!" (Good Bye)
  
Backyard of a Tea House
  
The "Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed)
  
The "Amma" (Shampooer)
  
The "Kamishimo" (The Ancient Ceremonial Dress)
  
A Damsel 
  
  
The Geishas Holding a Letter
  
Mamma!
  
The "Jinrikisha"
  
A Sleep
  
  
Buddhist Priest at Prayer
  
The "Amma" (Taffy Puller)
  
Greeting
  
Scene on the "Sumida" River 
  
  
Maple Garden at Takinogawa
  
Marriage Ceremony
  
Orchestra - Kioto, Violin, Samisen 
  
  
Basket Peddler
  
Wrestling Match
  
"Hanami" (Flower Pic Nic)
  
The "Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed) different from #12, above
  
Silk Worms on a Card
  
Silk Worm Raising
  
2 Reeling the Silk from the Cocoons
  
Reeling Threads 
  
  
The Cotton Spinning Wheel
  
Examining Warps
  
Loom
  
  
Picking Tea
  
Farmers Starting for the Field
  
Farmers in the Rice Swamp
  
Rice Planting
  
Farmers in a Yard
  
A Walk on a Snowy Day 
  
  
A Courtesan in Full Costume 
  
  
"Senju Kannon" (A Thousand Handed Goddess of Mercy) Title and info misprinted at top
  
Japanese Maiden
  
The "Dai Kagura"
  
  
A Blind Street Musician
  
Maidens
  
  
The "Go Inkyo" (Retired Gentleman)
  
"The Ainu Couple 
  
  
Hair Dressing
  
The "Suwari-Odori" (A Dancing)
  
The "Miko" (Vestal Virgin)
  
  
A Carrier
  
Lady Tying the "Obi" (Girdle)
  
The "Kago" (The Palanquin)
  
An Afternoon Company
  
The "Komamonoya" (Fancy Goods Dealer)
  
Sewing
  
A Florist 
  
  
The Art of Floral Arrangement
  
"Odori" (Dancing)
  
  
A Play
  
The Game of "Go"
  
The Japanese Culinary Art 
  
  
The "Hatsuni" (The First Stock of New Year)
  
The "Ken" Game
  
Fencing 
  
  
An Ox Cart
  
The Ainus at Dinner 
  
  
The "Chanoyu" Ceremony
  
A Cup of Tea for the Company
  
Family at Dinner
  
Dancing
  
The Orchestra 
  
  
Carpenters at Work
  
Cloth Dealers Shop 
  
  
Porcelain Ware Shop
  
"Hakimono" (Clogs)
  
Vegetable Dealer's Shop
  
A Vegetable Dealer
  
Green Grocer's Shop
  
The "Kakubeshishi" 
  
  
Courtesans
  
  
The "Koto" Playing
  
The "Samisen" (Banjo)
  
Working Men's Holiday
  
Vestal Virgins at the Kasuga Temple, Nara
  
A Curio Dealer's Shop
  
The "Jinrikisha" Riding on a Rainy Day
  
Wrestling Match 
  
  
A Miniature Garden of a Tea House
  
A Well
  
Medicant Friers
  
Entertaining a Guest
  
Summer Evening on the Shijo River
  
A "Matsuri" (Temple Festival)
  
Children at Meal
  
Mother and Her Baby 
  

 
List of Plates (without pics as shown above)

1. The "Geisha" (Singing Girl)
2. The Cherry
3. Japanese Babies
4. Buddhist Priests Conspicuous
5. Venturing Out in the Rain
6. Letter Writing
7. Morning Toilet
8. An Accident
9. Shinto Priest at Prayer
10. "Sayonara!" (Good Bye)
11. Backyard of a Tea House
12. The "Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed)
13. The "Amma" (Shampooer)
14. The "Kamishimo" (The Ancient Ceremonial Dress)
15. A Damsel
16. The Geishas Holding a Letter
17. Mamma!
18. The "Jinrikisha"
19. A Sleep
20. Buddhist Priest at Prayer
21. The "Amma" (Taffy Puller)
22. Greeting
23. Scene on the "Sumida" River
24. Maple Garden at Takinogawa
25. Marriage Ceremony
26. Orchestra - Kioto, Violin, Samisen
27. Basket Peddler
28. Wrestling Match
29. "Hanami" (Flower Pic Nic)
30. The "Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed) different from 12, above
31. Silk Worms on a Card
32. Silk Worm Raising
33. 2 Reeling the Silk from the Cocoons
34. Reeling Threads
35. The Cotton Spinning Wheel
36. Examining Warps
37. The Loom
38. Picking Tea
39. Farmers Starting for the Field
40. Farmers in the Rice Swamp
41. Rice Planting
42. Farmers in a Yard
43. A Walk on a Snowy Day
44. A Courtesan in Full Costume
45. "Senju Kannon" (A Thousand Handed Goddess of Mercy) Title and info misprinted at top
46. Japanese Maiden
47. The "Dai Kagura"
48. A Blind Street Musician
49. Maidens
50. The "Go Inkyo" (Retired Gentleman)
51. "The Ainu Couple
52. Hair Dressing
53. The "Suwari-Odori" (A Dancing)
54. The "Miko" (Vestal Virgin)
55. A Carrier
56. Lady Tying the "Obi" (Girdle)
57. The "Kago" (The Palanquin)
58. An Afternoon Company
59. The "Komamonoya" (Fancy Goods Dealer)
60. Sewing
61. A Florist
62. The Art of Floral Arrangement
63. "Odori" (Dancing)
64. A Play
65. The Game of "Go"
66. The Japanese Culinary Art
67. The "Hatsuni" (The First Stock of New Year)
68. The "Ken" Game
69. Fencing
70. An Ox Cart
71. The Ainus at Dinner
72. The "Chanoyu" Ceremony
73. A Cup of Tea for the Company
74. Family at Dinner
75. Dancing
76. The Orchestra
77. Carpenters at Work
78. Cloth Dealers Shop
79. Porcelain Ware Shop
80. "Hakimono" (Clogs)
81. Vegetable Dealer's Shop
82. A Vegetable Dealer
83. Green Grocer's Shop
84. The "Kakubeshishi"
85. Courtesans
86. The "Koto" Playing
87. The "Samisen" (Banjo)
88. Working Men's Holiday
89. Vestal Virgins at the Kasuga Temple, Nara
90. A Curio Dealer's Shop
91. The "Jinrikisha" Riding on a Rainy Day
92. Wrestling Match
93. A Miniature Garden of a Tea House
94. A Well
95. Medicant Friers
96. Entertaining a Guest
97. Summer Evening on the Shijo River
98. A "Matsuri" (Temple Festival)
99. Children at Meal
100. Mother and Her Baby