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Paper short abstract

This paper focuses on the production and distribution of prints of the Ise monogatari 伊勢物語 (10th century, author unknown) and its adaptations from the beginning of the 17th until the end of the 19th century.

Paper long abstract

Building on the literary analyses presented in the previous two papers, this presentation investigates the practical dissemination of humour and laughter from the perspective of the publishing history of the Ise monogatari during the Edo period. Rather than focusing solely on textual interpretation, it shifts attention to the material and commercial conditions under which the work was approached and circulated. The paper examines paratextual materials such as colophons, advertisements, and booksellers’ catalogues, and compares a range of printed editions of the Ise monogatari with particular attention to their time and place of production. By situating these editions within broader publishing networks, the analysis aims to illuminate how humour was framed and marketed to different readerships. In addition to ‘canonical’ editions, the study includes popular adaptations, such as the Ise monogatari hirakotoba 伊勢物語ひら言葉 (1679, by Ki Zankei 紀暫計, n.d.), the Kōshoku Ise monogatari 好色伊勢物語 (1686, by Shurakuken 酒楽軒, n.d.), and the Shinjitsu Ise monogatari 真実伊勢物語 (1690, by Ihara Saikaku 井原西鶴, 1642–93).

Furthermore, taking into consideration humour on a metatextual level, the paper addresses the parodic engagement with the Ise monogatari itself. This includes the publication of parodies such as the Nise monogatari 似勢物語 (c. 1639–40, author unknown) and the Ise monogatari haikai mame otoko Musō no Zukin 伊勢物語俳諧まめ男夢想頭巾 (1744–63), written by Okumura Masanobu 奥村政信 (1686–1764). These works demonstrate how humour functioned not only within the narrative but also as a commentary on the text’s cultural authority.

By assembling and comparing data on the diverse printed editions of the Ise monogatari, this paper seeks to gain a macroscopic understanding of the production, dissemination, and reception of its humorous textual elements within the Edo-period publishing landscape