Japanese Art Print History   This series is based on the 2004-2005 history of art course of Mrs Loveday Morris “Livres imprimés et estampes en Chine et au Japon”, University of Geneva   As English is not my native language, and as the course was given in French, there are certainly spelling and grammar mistakes; please report those you find, thanks!     Chapter 1 Historical backgrounds: the beginnings   Technics of printing are introduced during the 6th century AD from China alongside Buddhism, and it is actually in Japan that are found the earliest dated printed documents in the world that have been found to this day (although surely earlier documents have existed), the Hyakumanto darani (8th century). Paper was already massively produced during Nara (710-794). Then succeeds a long period during which there is no printing at all, with a few exceptions of prints from wood blocks; yet books were imported from China, and some were copied by hand. It will be only during the late 12th-early 13th century that they are again printed in important quantities; both at Nara and Kyoto. Again, those will remain until the 14th century mostly copies of Buddhist texts and comments of mantras in monasteries, in which most of the printing of that period is done. Other types of books like fiction are known but only copied by hand.   Shortly before the start of the Edo era, Hideyoshi fails in his military campaign in Korea; as he comes back to Japan, he brings back with him a technic of movable characters, which were also a Chinese invention that had been imported in Korea. He presented this system to the Imperial Court in 1593. The Emperor is enthusiast and decides to have books other than Buddhist texts printed. However, given the number of characters used in Japanese, this system was so expensive and required such a space to stock the pieces that only the Court and a few very important temples could have afford them. Moreover, preparing a page required a lot of time.   Therefore, this system was short-lived (about 60 years) and did not replace wood blocks. It won’t be re-used until Meiji (1868-1912). But what remains important nonetheless is that the introduction of those mobile characters, along with the urban developments, especially in Edo as we will see later on, will result in a diversification of the books printed and an increase of their diffusion; those books will have a major influence on book illustration and art printing.   The start of the Edo period marks the end of civil war and the constitution of a new central government located at what had long been a mere village, Edo (now Tokyo), at the top of which is the Shogun, who will wield the real power, while the Emperor and his Court still live in Kyoto and which function is reduced to a formal one. A period called “sakoku” begins, during which contacts with foreigners are reduced to 2 ports and the presence there of Chinese and Dutch merchants; Japanese can’t leave the country and return under penalty of death. It is also a time that witnesses the strong development of the city of Edo; the daimyos, or Lords, are forced by the Shogun to spend half of their time in the new capital, namely alternatively a year there and a year at home, while their families have to remain in Edo as “hostages” to insure that the daimyos will not rebel against the central power. Moreover, they are impoverished because of the resources spent on building houses and the maintenance costs at Edo.   But this condensation of a highly-educated and wealthy population attracts a high number of artisans and merchants in the city. The trends in art are no more imposed from the imperial Court, and, as the city itself is changing and growing quickly, people have a tendency to favour new trends as well (in contradiction with those established by the Court).   At the beginning of Edo, Book illustration is dominated by the Tosa School. At its origins, it was one of the most renowned painting school, developing a typical Japanese style (scenes depicting the Court, scenes from everyday life, interiors with bird’s-eye view). They were official painters of the Court. But at the beginning of the 17th century, with the withdrawing of the Court, the school is declining, and this is when it starts illustrating books (an activity in which it must renounce to one of its specificity, the use of colour), an item that is becoming more and more in demand, now that the genres are not limited to Buddhist texts.   A typical illustration in Tosa style of the 17th century, painted by hand, can be found here. An earlier painting by one of the most famous artist of the school, Tosa Mitsuyoshi, can be found here.   You’ll note the “cloud” design that surrounds the scene depicted, which is typical of the Tosa school, and the bird’s-eye view of interiors: the fact that they “cut” the roof so that we can see inside is typical of Japanese painting       This diversification is due to many factors: not only classical texts like the Tales of Genji and others were widely in demand, but people start to get interested in the account of recent events of the city (an interest that spreads all over the country), as well as in the history and legends related to famous places and buildings. Libraries were one can borrow books develop quickly, and it is said that they were more libraries in Edo than hairdressers! There were also hawkers who specialized in lending books and who would travel to the farthest and most secluded villages, helping to spread the culture and the news from the capital.   Finally, most classical tales and translated Chinese texts had several editions: the number of the kanji (Chinese characters) known varied widely depending on rank and education. The same text would be published in separate “formats”, one with only Chinese characters and few illustrations, and others with more or less kanji, replaced by kana (the Japanese syllabic writing system); in those edition, images were often more important, and sometimes replaced part of the original narration.   Those illustrations are so successful that more and more painters get involved in it, and rapidly start to sell them on individual sheets as well: this is the beginning of art printing.   Next chapter: Ukiyo-e (Matabe, Moronobu and Jihei)         Other sources:   Timeline of Japanese History   Printing history: before Gutenberg   The British Library: Japanese section