Paper short abstract:

This paper interprets the visual representation of the eastern capital in Edo Meisho Zue, The Illustrated Books of Famous Places in Edo, comparing with the earlier model for Kyoto, Miyako Meisho Zue. It discusses how it portrayed the new capital to appeal to a broader readership of the time.

Paper long abstract:

How did people observe, perceive, and portray the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo), the 'eastern' capital built as the seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate? As it flourished in the late 18th century as the center of the commoners' culture, how did the city represent itself as the new center that counterparts the traditional capital of the court culture and history, Kyoto?

This paper looks at the representation of Japanese capital cities in the 'meisho zue' or the illustrated books of famous places that came into fashion since the late 18th century onwards. Particular focus will be on the Edo Meisho Zue that appeared in 20 volumes in 1834 and 1836. It was an achievement of collaborative work between visual illustrations by the painter Hasegawa Settan and the topographical descriptions by three generations of author-editors, Saitō Nagaaki, his son Agatamaro, and his grand-son Gesshin.

In order to discuss the questions mentioned above, this paper compares Edo Meisho Zue to its preceding examples, including the early books on the topographical descriptions (meisho-ki) and especially with its direct reference model, the Miyako Meisho Zue. It was written by haiku poet Ritō Akisato and illustrated by a ukiyo-e painter Takehara Shunchōsai (1780). In so doing, it will explore in which way Edo Meisho Zue followed the earlier examples and how it expanded its narrative to demonstrate the 'prosperity' of the urban space and its surrounding area. A particular focus will be on the visual narrative and its relation to the textual discourse because of the original editor's great emphasis on it to reach a broader readership among the commoners of the time.