Shiba Zenkou

A comic writer from the late Edo period. His real name was Yamamoto Tojuro. He was also known by the pseudonyms Shiba Zenkou and Shiba Kou. Born into a merchant family in Edo, he was later adopted by Yamamoto Toshichi, a kyogen performer of the Okura school of the Mito domain, and took over his profession. He was known as a man of many talents and connoisseurs living in Kamiya-cho, Nishikubo, Shiba, Edo, and loved comic works. Since publishing his debut work "Hayariyasu Hiwacha Soga" in 1780 (An'ei 9), he has written about 40 works in yellow cover, including "Daitsu Ubutsu Kaichou", "Ogaminsu Niou San", and "Jushi Keiseihara no Uchi", and has been active as a townsman author on a par with Santo Kyoden, becoming a representative author after Koikawa Harumachi and Hoseido Kisanji. A typical Edokko, he liked to use the everyday life of the Edo commoners as his subject matter, but his style was rich in intellectual, cheerful, urban humor, and his forte was in light-hearted laughter and eccentric ideas and expressions. His representative work, "Daihi no Senroppon," is a small booklet of only five sheets (10 pages), but is known as the most typical yellow-covered work.

[Toshihiko Uda]

"Edo no gisaku ehon" (Ed. Comic Picture Books), 6 volumes, edited by Masatane Koike, Toshihiko Uda, and others (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)。本名山本藤十郎。別に司馬全交、司馬交などとも号した。江戸の商家の生まれで、のち水戸藩の大蔵流狂言師山本藤七の養子となり、その業を継いだ。江戸・芝西久保神谷町に住む多芸多才な通人として知られ、戯作を好み、1780年（安永9）黄表紙の処女作『時花兮鶸茶曽我(はやりやすひわちゃそが)』を出して以来、『大通仏買帳(だいつうぶつかいちょう)』『拝寿仁王参(おがみんすにおうさん)』『十四傾城腹之内(じゅうしけいせいはらのうち)』などおよそ40部の黄表紙を残し、山東京伝と並ぶ町人作者として活躍、恋川春町(こいかわはるまち)、朋誠堂喜三二(ほうせいどうきさんじ)以後の代表的作者となった。典型的な江戸っ子で、江戸庶民の日常生活を好んで題材としたが、その作風は知的で陽気な都会性の滑稽(こっけい)味に富み、軽快な笑いと奇抜な発想や表現にその本領があった。代表作『大悲千禄本(だいひのせんろっぽん)』はわずか5丁（10ページ）の小冊ながら、もっとも黄表紙らしい作品として知られる。

［宇田敏彦］

『小池正胤・宇田敏彦他編『江戸の戯作絵本』全6冊（社会思想社・現代教養文庫）』

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