The Tale of the Elegant Shidoken

A humorous book written by Furai Sanjin (Hiraga Gennai). Five volumes, five books. Published in Edo in 1763 (13th year of the Horeki era). The protagonist is Fukai Shidoken, a renowned eloquent who gave humorous and vulgar street lectures in the precincts of the Asakusa Kannon temple. The story depicts Fukai's travels around the country in his youth, and satirizes the social conditions of the time. The setting is Otonakoku, Shoninoku, Nyogo Island, etc., and while catching the reader's interest, the book is filled with various allegorical meanings in the style of a talk book. It seems that the author borrowed the name of the Chinese biography "Shidoken-den" (1748) written by Kinryu Dojin to soften it with a more refined style. His unique sharp satire, which was later described as "Hiraga-style," still seems to be somewhat hidden. According to Ota Nanpo's (Shokusanjin) Kanasogi, Gennai is said to have asked Shidoken to become his disciple, and the portrait of Shidoken on the frontispiece of this book, along with the opening text, conveys his appearance to the present day.

[Mitsutoshi Nakano]

"Nakamura Yukihiko's annotated "Japanese Classical Literature Series 55: Furai Sanjinshu" (1961, Iwanami Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

風来山人（平賀源内）作の滑稽本(こっけいぼん)。5巻5冊。1763年（宝暦13）江戸刊。浅草観音の境内で猥雑(わいざつ)滑稽の辻(つじ)講釈を行って当時評判の舌耕師深井志道軒を主人公に借り、その若年時の諸国遍歴を仮構して、当時の世相をうがった作品。舞台を大人国、小人国、女護島(にょごがしま)などにとり、読者の興味をひきながら、談義本風にさまざまな寓意(ぐうい)を込めるが、金龍道人作の漢文伝記『志道軒伝』（1748）の名前を借りて、それを風流に和らげることを企てたものと思われる。後年「平賀振り」と評される彼独特の鋭い風刺性はいまだ、やや影をひそめている感がある。大田南畝(なんぽ)（蜀山人(しょくさんじん)）の『金曽木(かなそぎ)』によれば、源内は志道軒に入門を請(こ)うたともいわれ、本書口絵に載せる志道軒の肖像は冒頭の文章とともに彼の風貌(ふうぼう)を今日に伝えている。

［中野三敏］

『中村幸彦校注『日本古典文学大系55　風来山人集』（1961・岩波書店）』

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