Puzzle - Puzzle

A puzzle that requires guessing the meaning of a certain word or picture. Picture puzzles are called "jinazo" and word puzzles are called "jinazo". They were popular among the townspeople of Edo, mainly among comic writers, and printed books of this kind were also produced. Their influence still remains in today's quiz stories. "Man among the plants, there is a bamboo tree beside him (tea box)" and "Two sho and five go in spring, summer and winter (business prospers)" are common examples of so-called "jinazo", and it is said that in Edo at the end of the Tokugawa period, there were even monks who used these puzzles (jinazo) to beg. Many jinazo puzzles were intricately designed and ingenious, and it seems that they also gave rise to a trend of competing each year to come up with designs for "fan pictures" and "large and small calendars". Additionally, the seasonal indications in the 'Nambu Mekura Goyomi' (blind calendar) found in the Iwate Prefecture region were also a kind of riddle (start of the rainy season = thieves = baggage thieves, etc.).

[Toshimi Takeuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

文字や絵にある意味をあてつけて判じさせる謎解(なぞと)き。絵のものを「判じ絵」、字のものを「字謎(じなぞ)」などともいった。江戸の町人社会で戯作者(げさくしゃ)中心に流行し、その類の版本もつくられた。その余流はなお今日のクイズものにも残っている。「人在草木間目有竹木傍（茶箱）」「春夏冬二升五合（商いますます繁盛(はんじょう)）」などはいわゆる「字謎」のありふれた例で、幕末期江戸にはこうした考え物（字謎）で物乞(ご)いする願人(がんにん)坊主のたぐいもあったという。判じ絵には複雑な図柄を配してくふうを凝らしたものも多く、「団扇(うちわ)絵」や「大小暦」などの図案として、毎年各自創案を競う傾向も生じたらしい。また岩手県地方にみられる「南部盲暦(めくらごよみ)」の節季表示なども一種の判じ絵であった（入梅＝盗人＝荷うばい等）。

［竹内利美］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例