Talk:Edo meisho zue

Manuscript

As I understand it, this is a published book. It is therefore mis-classified as an illuminated manuscript - it is presumably block-printed. I'm sure there are other categories it should be in. i won't remove these categories for a while. Johnbod 00:19, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

I can't say I've read the book, but it is definitely a woodblock printed book. Whether or not we want to apply the Western term of illuminated manuscript to it is I suppose a subjective sort of thing - but, as it's mass-produced, not a one-off hand-painted item... as far as I'm aware, there's no category out there for "woodblock printed books". I would suggest Category:Printmaking and Category:Travel books. LordAmeth 10:29, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks - will do, & I'll check around for an illustrated books cat, which I expect there is somewhere. It isn't an illuminated manuscript certainly. Johnbod 15:17, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Just happened to see your discussion. The article has a couple of problems:

• If the article is about the publication accessible from the link at the bottom of the page, it is about 江戸名所図会 (Edo Meisho Zu-e), not 江戸名所図解 (Edo Meisho Zukai) (see also the corresponding Japanese Wikipedia article). Details about it—e.g., published by several members of the Saito family (actually, three generations—grandpa, pop, and [grand]son—compiled it) and artwork by Hasegawa Settan—also match those of 江戸名所図会.
• The woodblock prints and text were published in 文庫 bunko format in a series of six volumes plus two addenda (別冊 bessatsu) by 筑摩書房 Chikuma Shobō in its Chikuma Gakugei Bunko ちくま学芸文庫 line beginning in 1996. The books are edited and annotated by 市古夏生 Ichiko Natsuo and 鈴木健一 Suzuki Ken'ichi.　You can find these books on amazon.co.jp by using this search string: 新訂　江戸名所図会, but it looks like they might be out of print.
• In the books, 江戸名所図会 categorizes itself as a 地誌, a sort of geography/chorography, like a pre-modern National Geographic. Apparently such books were quite popular in the late Edo period.
• I can probably improve the article a bit using the information in the 解説 at the back of the books.
• I'd be glad to photograph the books and/or scan a couple of pages and upload the images if this is allowable under fair use.

Best regards, and HTH—Jim_Lockhart 13:04, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Great stuff! We seem to lack articles on Japanese prints that aren't ukiyo-e(stretched I suppose to cover the famous views series); otherwise there is just Woodblock printing in Japan. Its not my area at all, but I'm sure the other types of Japanese prints mentioned there could do with articles if you know the area. Johnbod 13:16, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Don't know the area well, I just like old Japanese stuff. <g> I'll see what I can do... The first thing to do would probably be to change the article title to Edo Meisho Zue with a redirect from Edo Meisho Zukai. Any thoughts? Jim_Lockhart 14:14, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Whatever you think is best - I really only know the European side. Thanks Johnbod 16:30, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Okay, I've moved the page. Good luck with this - looks like a fun topic. LordAmeth 09:31, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Total rework of 11 March

Okay, folks, I tried to make this into a decent sized article, so it is no longer a stub and at least no longer reads like it was written by a drunken high school student. I removed the "see also" list because the links' relevance is not obvious to anyone who hasn't gone through the original. Any comments, additions, corrections (especially of editing artifacts) will be greatly appreciated. Best regards, Jim_Lockhart 13:36, 11 March 2007 (UTC)