Yellow cover book

A type of kusazoshi (Japanese quince comics). A general term for approximately 2,000 varieties of kusazoshi (Japanese quince comics) published between 1775 (An'ei 4), when "Kinkin Sensei Eiga no Yume" (written and illustrated by Koikawa Harumachi) was published, and 1806 (Bunka 3), when "The Tale of Raitaro the Evil" (written by Shikitei Sanba and illustrated by Utagawa Toyokuni) was published. The name comes from the yellow cover, but in the Edo period they were called Aohon because of their similarity to the covers of the previous Aohon. Except for the preface, every page is illustrated, and they are medium-sized, with each volume having 5 pages (10 pages), and usually consist of 2 to 3 volumes (books).

Because the style was established by the samurai authors who were intellectuals of the time, while its essence was intellectual and thoroughly nonsensical humor, it was also characterized by being extremely realistic, based on the real life of the Edo people, just like the sharebon (comic books). The pictures are inseparably linked to the text, and the explanations of the pictures are also an important key to understanding the kibyōshi, and they were written by the leading ukiyo-e artists of the time (Torii Kiyonaga, Kitao Shigemasa, Kitagawa Utamaro, Utagawa Toyokuni, etc.). The heyday of the genre was from the end of the An'ei era to the Tenmei era (1780s), when it was closely connected to the Tenmei literary world, which was centered on kyoka poetry, as well as the theater world, the art world, and pleasure quarters such as Yoshiwara. It produced masterpieces such as "Mudaiki" (written and illustrated by Harumachi), "Ichiryu Mankindan" (written by Houseidou Kisanji and illustrated by Kitao Masanobu (Sankyoden)), "Daihi Senroppon" (written by Shiba Zenko and illustrated by Masanobu), and "Edomareuwaki no Kabayaki" (written and illustrated by Sankyoden), and also produced townspeople authors such as Zenko and Kyoden.

However, the downfall of Tanuma Okitsugu and the Kansei Reformation politics of Matsudaira Sadanobu led to the oppression of kibyō authors who had used this political upheaval as a good opportunity to produce "Bunbunidō Mangokudōshi" (written by Kisanji and illustrated by Kitagawa Yukimaro) and "Oumugaeshi Bunbu no Futamichi" (written by Harumachi and illustrated by Kitao Masayoshi), resulting in the total withdrawal of samurai authors and the welcoming of Kyokutei Bakin, Jippensha Ikku, Sanma and others as new authors. This strengthened crackdown on publishing led to the revival of didactic teaching, which was one of the traditional aspects of kusazoshi, and the popularity of stories of fantastic revenge, which became longer and gave birth to the next generation of gokan.

[Toshihiko Uda]

"Complete Collection of Japanese Classical Literature 59: Yellow-covered Books and Sharebon Collection, edited by Mizuno Minoru (1958, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Complete Collection of Japanese Classical Literature 46: Yellow-covered Books, Senryu and Kyoka, edited by Hamada Giichiro et al. (1971, Shogakukan)" ▽ "Edo no Gisaku Ehon, 4 volumes, edited by Koike Masatane, Uda Toshihiko et al. (Shakai Shisosha, Gendai Kyoyo Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

草双紙(くさぞうし)の一態。『金々先生栄花夢(きんきんせんせいえいがのゆめ)』（恋川春町(こいかわはるまち)作・画）が刊行された1775年（安永4）から、『雷太郎強悪(いかずちたろうごうあく)物語』（式亭三馬(さんば)作、歌川豊国(とよくに)画）の出版された1806年（文化3）までの草双紙約2000種の総称。名称は表紙が黄色であることによるが、前代の青本の表紙と類似するため、江戸時代は青本の名でよばれた。序文などを除き、全丁絵入りで、中本(ちゅうほん)型、5丁（10ページ）を1巻1冊とし、通常2～3巻（冊）よりなる。

　当時の知識人たる武家作者によってその形式が確立されたため、知的で徹底したナンセンスな笑いをその生命としながらも、洒落本(しゃれぼん)同様に、江戸市井の現実生活を踏まえ、きわめて写実的であった点に特徴がある。絵は文と不即不離の関係にあり、絵解きも黄表紙理解の重要な鍵(かぎ)で、当代第一級の浮世絵師（鳥居清長、北尾重政(しげまさ)、喜多川歌麿(きたがわうたまろ)、歌川豊国ら）が筆をとっている。最盛期は安永(あんえい)末年から天明(てんめい)年間（1780年代）で、狂歌を中心とする天明文壇をはじめ、劇壇、画壇、吉原などの遊里と密接に関連して、『無益委記(むだいき)』（春町作・画）、『一流万金談』（朋誠堂喜三二(ほうせいどうきさんじ)作、北尾政演(まさのぶ)（山東京伝）画）、『大悲千禄本(せんろっぽん)』（芝全交作、政演画）、『江戸生艶気樺焼(えどうまれうわきのかばやき)』（山東京伝作・画）などの傑作を生み出すとともに、全交、京伝らの町人作者を輩出させた。

　しかし、田沼意次(おきつぐ)の没落と松平定信(さだのぶ)による寛政(かんせい)の改革政治は、この政変をかっこうの材料として『文武二道万石通(ぶんぶにどうまんごくどおし)』（喜三二作、喜多川行麿画）、『鸚鵡返文武二道(おうむがえしぶんぶのふたみち)』（春町作、北尾政美(まさよし)画）を生み出した黄表紙作者に弾圧を加え、武家作者の総退場という結果を招じ、曲亭馬琴(きょくていばきん)、十返舎一九(じっぺんしゃいっく)、三馬らを新しく作者として迎える。こうした出版取締りの強化によって、草双紙の伝統的な一側面であった教訓性が復活するとともに、伝奇的な敵討(かたきうち)物が盛行し、これが長編化して、次代の合巻を誕生させることとなるのである。

［宇田敏彦］

『水野稔校注『日本古典文学大系 59　黄表紙・洒落本集』（1958・岩波書店）』▽『浜田義一郎他校注『日本古典文学全集 46　黄表紙・川柳・狂歌』（1971・小学館）』▽『小池正胤・宇田敏彦他編『江戸の戯作絵本』全4巻（社会思想社・現代教養文庫）』

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