Paper short abstract:

The paper examines how the concept of mapping influenced the development of visual-verbal narratives in 19th century Japanese print culture.

Paper long abstract:

The prevalence of visual-verbal narratives in late Edo period (19th century) print culture has been widely discussed. There were, however, developing two seemingly contrary tendencies: on the one hand, the literacy levels of the audience were rising; on the other, the publishers and authors were inventing more ways of guiding their readers. The paper addresses how Its convergence became possible and argues that the development of mapping as prevalent mental concept was a pivotal factor in this process. Specifically, the paper explores how punctuation markings and visual signals allowed the reader to piece together complex layers of the narrative, using Inakaori Magae Sagoromo (1850-52, Ryokutei Senryū, Utagawa Kunisada), a gōkan retelling of old Heian classics, as an example. Gōkan, a genre akin to graphic novel, rose to the popularity in 19th century and can be considered the culmination of the trends in early modern popular literacy, not yet having experienced heavy western influence. Inakaori Magae Sagoromo was published after gōkan as a genre became established and well-refined, and it is therefore representative of the genre development at the time. Moreover, the layout of the gōkan reflects how increasing non-verbal types of literacy, including visual and spatial, influenced the method of narrative organization. The acquired taste that favored mapping among the audience, therefore, enabled the publishers to cater to both advanced and novice readership, as mapping guidance would provide playful experience to the former and help to the latter.