top of page

Shindairi Mishōji Shikishiwaka

Updated: Dec 7, 2022

 The Dairi Palace was burnt down in the 7th year of the Kaei era (1854) in Kyōto. However, the palace was soon restored during the Ansei era (1855–1860). Some noblemen celebrated the restoration by writing waka (和歌) poems on the palace’s shōji (障子) (paper screen). A collection of these waka poems was published in this kikōbon (稀覯本) book* in Edo. The book was edited by Amino Nobuhira (網野延平), also known as Minamoto Nobuhira (源延平) (1819–1889), a scholar of Japanese literature who specialized in waka poetry. Hibiya Kenjirō (日比谷健次郎) (1836–1886) acquired this book then, and it has been preserved by his family to date since. According to Professor Sasaki Takahiro, Director of the Kidō Library at the Keiō University, the book is bound in a X shape at the top and bottom. As this binding technique is highly technical that it increases the rarity of the book.


* A kikōbon is a precious book of old literature rarely distributed to the public.


All Japanese names in this translation follow the Japanese order: surname-name, and all Japanese names and words follow the Hepburn romanization method.






Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page