Ryukyu Books

Japanese: 琉球本 - りゅうきゅうぼん

Although it refers to books published in Ryukyu (present-day Okinawa Prefecture), it usually refers to fully-printed books that were published in the late Edo period. According to Kyuyo, calendars were already being printed by woodblock in Ryukyu as early as 1674, and in 1678 the Jikenreki calendar was printed and spread throughout the country. However, the only books known to remain are Dojisekidan, published in 1844, and a few others from the mid-19th century onwards. The document notes that other books were also published, and these appear to include some published in Fuzhou, China.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

琉球(今の沖縄県)で刊行された本のことであるが，江戸時代後期に開版された整版本をさすのが普通である。《球陽》によれば琉球では1674年にすでに暦が木版印刷され，78年には時憲暦（じけんれき）を印刷して国中に広めたという。しかし現存が知られているのは，1844年刊行の《童子摭談（どうじせきだん）》ほか19世紀中葉以降のもの数点にすぎない。文書にはそのほかにも刊本のあったことが記されているが，中国福州で刊行されたものが含まれているようである。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Ryukyu cuisine - Ryukyu cuisine

>>: University of the Ryukyus