Koikawa Harumachi - Koikawa Harumachi

A comic writer and ukiyo-e artist from the late Edo period. His real name was Kurahashi Itaru, and he was commonly known as Juhei. His mad name was Sakenoue no Furachi, and he also went by the name Jusanjin. He was a samurai of the Kojima domain in Suruga, and lived in the domain's residence in Kasuga-cho, Koishikawa, Edo, where he held important positions such as caretaker and senior official. At the same time, he aspired to become an ukiyo-e artist, studying under Toriyama Sekien and becoming a private disciple of Katsukawa Shunsho. He made his debut in the literary world in 1773 (An'ei 2) with illustrations (perhaps also by Harumachi) for the sharebon Tosei Fuzoku Tsu, and in 1775 he released Kinkin Sensei Eiga no Yume, a kusazoshi version of a sharebon novel, with his own illustrations, which led to him being regarded as the originator of the kibyōshi style. He caricatured the real world with intelligent, witty, and free-spirited story developments and realistic illustrations, and as one of the leading authors of his time, he left behind around 30 kibyō stories, including Mudai-ki, as well as illustrating the kibyōshi of authors such as Hoseido Kisanji, and wrote sharebon and kyōka poems. In 1789 (Kansei 1), he was summoned by the authorities for his "Oumugaeshi Bunbu no Futamichi" (Parrot Response, Literary and Military Two Ways), which mocked the reformist politics of Matsudaira Sadanobu, but he did not respond and died shortly thereafter. His sudden death was likely due to his concern to avoid causing trouble to the feudal lord and his bad relationship with his foster father, who was an honest and capable official, and can be considered a suicide.

[Toshihiko Uda]

"Japanese Classical Literature Series 59: Yellow-covered Books and Sharebon Collection, edited by Mizuno Minoru (1958, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Japanese Classical Literature Collection 46: Yellow-covered Books, Senryu, and Kyoka, edited and translated by Hamada Giichiro et al. (1971, Shogakukan)" ▽ "Edo no Gisaku Ehon, vols. 1-3 and sequel 1, edited by Koike Masatane, Uda Toshihiko et al. (Shakai Shisosha, Gendai Kyoyo Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸後期の戯作者(げさくしゃ)、浮世絵師。本名倉橋格、通称寿平。狂名を酒上不埒(さけのうえのふらち)、別に寿山人と号した。駿河(するが)小島(おじま)藩士で、江戸・小石川春日(かすが)町の藩邸に住み、留守居役、重役加判などの要職を歴任、そのかたわら浮世絵師を志して鳥山石燕(せきえん)に学び、勝川春章(かつかわしゅんしょう)に私淑した。1773年（安永2）洒落本(しゃれぼん)『当世風俗通』の挿絵（文も春町か）を描いて文壇に登場、1775年には洒落本を草双紙(くさぞうし)化した『金々先生栄花夢(きんきんせんせいえいがのゆめ)』を自画作で発表し、黄表紙の祖と目されるに至った。知的で軽妙洒脱な話の展開と写実的な挿絵で現実世界を戯画化し、当代第一級の作者として『無益委記(むだいき)』など約30編の黄表紙を残すほか、朋誠堂喜三二(ほうせいどうきさんじ)らの黄表紙に挿絵を描き、洒落本、狂歌などの作もある。1789年（寛政1）『鸚鵡返文武二道(おうむがえしぶんぶのふたみち)』で松平定信(さだのぶ)の改革政治を揶揄(やゆ)して、当局の召喚を受けたが応ぜず、ほどなく没した。この突然の死は、藩公へ迷惑の及ばぬようにとの配慮と、実直な能吏であった養父との折り合いの悪さに原因すると考えられ、自殺とみてよい。

［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・訳『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』1～3・続編1（社会思想社・現代教養文庫）』

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