Introduction to the History of Buddhist Book Publishing in Modern Japan

Abstract

The spread of letterpress and other Western-style printing technologies throughout Japanese society during the Meiji period (1868-1912) is often thought to be the cause of the rapid decline in traditional printing technologies that had existed since the Edo period (1603-1868). However, in the case of highly specialized books like Buddhist volumes, well-established publishing companies that had existed since the Edo period had an enthusiastic readership firmly in their grip. Insofar as these companies adopted the strategy of only publishing the minimum number of books they could sell, there was no need for them to rush to introduce letterpress printing or master mass-quantity or high-speed printing technologies. Yet, Buddhist publishing companies in Tokyo quickly introduced Western-style printing technologies from the late 1880s to late 1890s, as Meiji Enlightenment-era intellectuals had themselves formed publishing companies in an attempt to widely share Buddhist doctrines with the general public. Conversely, Kyoto Buddhist publishing companies persisted in using woodblock printing and Japanese-style book-binding, as they needed to sell commentaries on Buddhist scriptures and the like to priests engaging in religious training. However, as the western style grew more prevalent, Kyoto Buddhist companies began to recognize the convenience of smaller, letterpress-printed, Western-bound books. Thus, the turn of the nineteenth century marked the beginning of the decline of Japan's traditional printing technologies.