"A Smash Hit for the Local Book Trade" (的中地本問屋 Atariyashita Jihon Doiya)
This movie introduces the contents of Atariyashita Jihon Doiya (的中地本問屋), a kibyoshi (illustrated storybook with a yellow cover) by Jippensha Ikku who is famous as the author of "Tōkaidōchū hizakurige", a best selling book in the Edo period. From this movie, we can see how books were sold at that time.
Jihon doiya is a shop that deals in nishiki-e (colored woodblock prints) and kusa-zōshi (illustrated storybooks), which is unique to the Edo period. "Atariyashita", the title of this book means in the language of Edo period that the books issued by the jihon doiya sold very well.
In this book, the owner of a jihon doiya Murataya gives some mysterious drug to a lazy writer, Jippensha Ikku. After taking the drug, the writer immediately completes his manuscript. Murataya engraves printing blocks, prints the manuscript and sells the book. It becomes a best-seller and Murataya treats Ikku with soba (buckwheat noodles), Ikku's favorite. This book shows the process of publishing – engraving, printing, folding printed papers, collating and binding – and selling in detail.
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