In this paper, I use a study of
Momijizuka, a work of popular fiction in the
chūhon format by the author Tamenaga-Shunsui, to examine the reprinting and reuse of old works by publishers in the last decades of the Edo Period.
Momijizuka exists in two editions: an initial edition, published in 1827 in the small
chūhon format, and a later edition, printed in the larger
hanshibon format from newly carved woodblocks and published under the title of
Takao-gaiden. Observing that
Takao-gaiden was produced independently by its publisher without input from Shunsui, I ask why this work in particular was selected for reprinting. I then examine Shunsui’s use of influences from earlier works in composing
Momijizuka. Based on these influences, I argue that the publisher recognized that this work would still be appealing to readers amid the publishing trends of the 1840s.
抄録全体を表示