Kanagaki Robun - Kanagaki Robun

Japanese: 仮名垣魯文 - かながき・ろぶん

Year of death: November 8, 1894 (Meiji 27)
Year of birth: 1829.2.9 (1829.2.9)
One of the leading comic writers from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period. His real name was Nozaki Bunzo, and he was known by other names such as Dontei and Neko Dojin. He was born into a commoner's family, a fishmonger in Kyobashi, Edo. He began working as a servant from an early age, and there, under the patronage of the future great connoisseur Hosoki (Tsukuniya) Kaori, he developed a love of comic writing, and eventually became an apprentice to Hanagasa Bunkyo and began his career as a comic writer. His breakthrough work was "Comedy Fuji Mairi" published in 1860, and while imitating Jippensha Ikku's "Tokaido Chu Hizakurige," this work is based on the times and even includes the exotic customs of Yokohama, and is said to have all the characteristics that would become famous in later years. Entering the Meiji period, he displayed these characteristics even more, publishing hit after hit, such as "Seiyo Dochu Hizakurige" (first published in 1870) and "Agura Nabe" (first published in 1871), which beautifully expressed the state of civilization and enlightenment at the common people's level. Meanwhile, in 1874 (Meiji 7), he became a miscellaneous news reporter for the Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun, and in the following year, as an editor, he founded the Kanayomi Shimbun. He began serializing novels in newspapers, such as "Torioi Asatsu Kaijo Shinwa" (written by Kubota Hikosaku), which he eventually published in Meiji-style collections, ushering in the heyday of the Meiji period of fiction, known as the "Kanagaki school," and he himself published hits such as "Takahashi Aden Yashatan." He also formed a sandaibanashi group with San'yutei Encho, was active in textbooks, and conducted himself in a way that always kept abreast of the trends of the times, dominating the popular literary world of the Meiji period. <References> Okitsu Kaname, "Literature in Transition: From Edo to Meiji," and "Kanagaki Robun" by the same author.

(Mitsutoshi Nakano)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：明治27.11.8(1894)
生年：文政12.1.6(1829.2.9)
江戸末期から明治初年にかけての代表的戯作者のひとり。本名は野崎文蔵。鈍亭,猫々道人などの別号がある。江戸京橋の魚屋という全くの庶民の家に生まれた。幼少から奉公に出,その先で後年の大通人細木(津国屋)香以の愛顧を受けて戯作好きをつのらせ,やがて花笠文京に弟子入りして戯作者の道に入る。出世作は万延1(1860)年刊の『滑稽富士詣』で,この作では十返舎一九の『東海道中膝栗毛』に倣いながら時勢をあてこみ,横浜の異国風俗までを盛り込んで,後年までその特徴とするところが全て備わっていると評されている。明治に入って,ますますその特徴を発揮し,『西洋道中膝栗毛』(初編1870年刊),『安愚楽鍋』(初編1871年刊)などの当たり作を次々と刊行して庶民レベルの文明開化の様相を見事に表現した。一方,明治7(1874)年からは『横浜毎日新聞』の雑報記者となり,翌8年には自ら編集者として『仮名読新聞』を創刊。「鳥追阿松海上新話」(久保田彦作著)などの新聞連載小説を始めて,やがて明治式合巻として刊行し,いわゆる「仮名垣派」の明治戯作全盛時代を迎え,自らも『高橋阿伝夜叉譚』などの当たり作を刊行した。そのほか三遊亭円朝と共に三題噺のグループを作ったり,教科書などにも活躍したり,常に時流を見きわめた身の処し方で,明治の通俗文壇に君臨した生涯であった。<参考文献>興津要『転換期の文学―江戸から明治へ』,同『仮名垣魯文』

(中野三敏)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

<<: Kanagasira - Kanagasira (English spelling) Gurnard

>>: Kanaoka