Hizakurige on the Tokaido Highway

A humorous book by Jippensha Ikku. Eight volumes in 18 books. Illustrations by Ikku himself. Published between 1802 and 1809 (Kyowa 2-Bunka 6). The titles of the first volume are "Ukiyo Dochu Hizakurige," the second volume "Douchu Hizakurige," and the third volume "Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige." It is one of Jippensha Ikku's masterpieces, and also one of his masterpieces.

This is a literary work in the form of a travelogue about Tochimenya Yajirobei, who was born in Fuchu, Suruga and lived in Hatchobori, Kanda, Edo, and leaves Edo with his freeloader Kitahachi, heading west along the Tokaido road to visit Ise Shrine, sightseeing in Kyoto and then on to Osaka. The relationship between Yajirobei and Kitahachi is equivalent to the shite-ado role in Kyogen, and is based on the style of travelogue literature such as the kanazoshi "Chikusai" and "Tokaido Meisho-ki." The two's foolish acts and failures on the road continue in a chain reaction from their departure from Edo to Osaka, but the author's realistic depictions from the Sharebon period and his incorporation of humorous elements from previous literary genres such as Kyogen, Hanashibon, Ukiyo-zoshi, and others ensure a sense of reality and humor, and as the author states in the preface to the fourth volume that the story is "exclusively aimed at Kiriotoshi" (Kiriotoshi), he consciously tries to adapt it to the tastes of readers as a reading material for the masses. Naturally, the laughter is literally hilarious, without any satirical poison, as Kyokutei Bakin commented, "Not only do I enjoy the easy-to-understand humor of a village farmer, but even a grown man can see no harm in a story like Hizakurige" (Edo Authors' Category, Kinsei Mononohon). One of the reasons why the book was so popular with the public is that the foolish acts and mistakes of Yajirobei and Kitahachi are typical of the feelings of ordinary people who wish to be liberated from the various rules and restrictions of their local community by going on a journey. Ikku completed the series in 1822 (Bunsei 5) by depicting the humorous antics of Yaji and Kita on their pilgrimage to Konpira, Miyajima, the Kiso Highway, the Zenkoji Road, and the Kusatsu Onsen Road, as "Zoku Hizakurige." It was published for 21 years, and many imitations were made throughout its publication, including Kanagaki Robun's "Seiyo Dochu Hizakurige" (1870). Even today, many works use the name "Hizakurige" in titles, parodies, and other works.

[Goya Jinbo]

"Complete Collection of Japanese Classical Literature 49: Hizakurige on the Tokaido Highway (1975, Shogakukan), edited by Nakamura Yukihiko" ▽ "Hizakurige on the Tokaido Highway by Matsuda Osamu (1973, Tankosha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

十返舎一九(じっぺんしゃいっく)作の滑稽本(こっけいぼん)。八編18冊。挿絵は一九自画。1802～09年（享和2～文化6）刊。書名は初編が「浮世道中膝栗毛」、二編が「道中膝栗毛」、三編より「東海道中膝栗毛」。十返舎一九の代表作であり、滑稽本の代表作でもある。

　駿河(するが)府中の生まれで、江戸・神田(かんだ)八丁堀に住む栃面屋弥次郎兵衛(とちめんややじろべえ)が、居候の喜多八(きたはち)を連れて江戸を出発し、東海道を西に、伊勢(いせ)参宮にと旅立ち、京見物から大坂に至るまでの道中記形式の文学である。弥次郎兵衛・喜多八の2人の関係は、狂言のシテ・アドにあたり、仮名草子(かなぞうし)の『竹斎(ちくさい)』や『東海道名所記』などの道中記文学のスタイルを襲ったものである。2人の道中の愚行・失敗は、江戸出発より大坂に至るまで連鎖的に続けられるが、それらは洒落(しゃれ)本以来の写実的な描写と、狂言・噺本(はなしぼん)・浮世草子その他、先行文芸のあらゆる笑いの要素を作者が取り入れたことで、現実感と滑稽とを確保して、「切落(きりおとし)向を専(もっぱら)として」（四編序）というように、切落＝大衆相手の読み物として、意識的に読者の好尚に適応させようとしている。当然その笑いは、曲亭馬琴(きょくていばきん)が「只(ただ)村農野嬢(やじょう)の解し易(やす)くて笑ひを催すを歓(よろこ)ぶのみならず、大人君子も膝栗毛のごときは看(みる)者に害なし」（近世物之本江戸作者部類）と評したように、風刺の毒をまったく含まない、文字どおりの哄笑(こうしょう)である。大衆に歓迎された理由であるが、弥次郎兵衛・喜多八の愚行・失敗が、旅に出ることによって地域社会のさまざまなルールや制約から解放されたいと願う庶民の心情を典型的に描いてみせたことも見逃せない。一九は『続膝栗毛』として、金毘羅参詣(こんぴらさんけい)、宮嶋(みやじま)参詣、岐蘇(きそ)街道、善光寺道中、草津温泉道中などに弥次・喜多の滑稽を描いて、完結したのは1822年（文政5）である。21年間出版され続けたわけで、刊行中から模倣作が相次ぎ、仮名垣魯文(かながきろぶん)の『西洋道中膝栗毛』（1870）にまで及び、現代でも題名やパロディーその他に、「膝栗毛」の名を利用する作品は多い。

［神保五彌］

『中村幸彦校注『日本古典文学全集49　東海道中膝栗毛』（1975・小学館）』▽『松田修著『東海道中膝栗毛』（1973・淡交社）』

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