Red book - Akahon

A type of kusazoshi (picture book) from the mid-Edo period. It is a picture book for young children, so named because its cover is crimson (red). From the end of the Kanbun era (1670), it was published in Edo during New Year's holidays, and from around the Kyoho era (1716-1736), the format of a book of 5 sheets (10 pages) per book was established, which became the standard format for kusazoshi thereafter. Due to the target audience, simple moral lessons and happy endings are depicted with simple illustrations and simple dialogues. The subjects are old tales such as "Momotaro," "The Tongue-Cut Sparrow," "The Princess with the Headband," and "Raiko's Entry into the Mountain," as well as fairy tales and joruri (narrative puppet theater), and were created by artists such as Kondo Kiyoharu, Nishimura Shigenaga, and Hanekawa Chinju. In addition, from the Meiji period onwards, storytelling books aimed at boys were given this name because their covers were extremely colorful, mainly red, and the term has come to mean vulgar books of low quality in both content and appearance, as well as dubious books sold at festivals and the like.

[Toshihiko Uda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中期の草双紙(くさぞうし)の一種。幼童向けの絵本で、表紙が丹色(にいろ)（赤）のためこの名がある。寛文(かんぶん)末年（1670ころ）より、江戸で正月に出版され、享保(きょうほう)（1716～1736）ごろより、大半紙半切の中本型、5丁（10ページ）1冊とする形式が定まり、これが以後の草双紙の定型となった。その読者対象から、平易な教訓とめでたい結末とが、素朴な挿絵に簡単な会話などの書き入れだけで描かれる。題材は「桃太郎」「舌切り雀(すずめ)」「鉢かづき姫」「頼光山入(らいこうやまいり)」などの昔話や御伽草子(おとぎぞうし)、浄瑠璃(じょうるり)本で、近藤清春、西村重長、羽川珍重らの画工が手がけている。なお、明治時代以降には、少年向きの講談本などを、表紙が赤を主体にした極彩色であったため、この名でよび、さらに転じて、内容、体裁ともに低級俗悪な本や縁日などで売られるいかがわしい本をいう。

［宇田敏彦］

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