Changes

The first ''kawaraban'' are believed to have been published in [[1615]]. For the first two centuries of the Edo period, they chiefly reported on natural disasters, fires, and affairs concerning local individuals, such as love suicides and revenge stories. The latter often fed ''ichiyazuke'' ("pickled overnight") stage plays which dramatized the story further, and on occasion these developed into fuller plays which entered the traditional repertoire, recording for posterity dramatized versions of real events, again such as love affairs, murders, mothers seeking after their lost child, children seeking to avenge their father's death, and so forth. ''Kawaraban'' also often announced upcoming events of particular interest, such as [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo|Ryukyuan]] or [[Korean embassies to Edo|Korean embassy processions]], or on at least one occasion, in [[1841]], the shogun's journey to [[Nikko Toshogu|Nikkô Tôshogû]].

The first ''kawaraban'' are believed to have been published in [[1615]]. For the first two centuries of the Edo period, they chiefly reported on natural disasters, fires, and affairs concerning local individuals, such as love suicides and revenge stories. The latter often fed ''ichiyazuke'' ("pickled overnight") stage plays which dramatized the story further, and on occasion these developed into fuller plays which entered the traditional repertoire, recording for posterity dramatized versions of real events, again such as love affairs, murders, mothers seeking after their lost child, children seeking to avenge their father's death, and so forth. ''Kawaraban'' also often announced upcoming events of particular interest, such as [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo|Ryukyuan]] or [[Korean embassies to Edo|Korean embassy processions]], or on at least one occasion, in [[1841]], the shogun's journey to [[Nikko Toshogu|Nikkô Tôshogû]].

In the 19th century, ''kawaraban'' began to report on political events. Edicts were issued attempting to restrict their content or ban them outright, but ''kawaraban'' continued to circulate unabated. When [[Commodore Perry]] and his "black ships" arrived in [[1853]] and again in [[1854]], townspeople were prevented from seeing the foreigners in person, but were able to learn something of the events from ''kawaraban'' publications. More than five hundred different prints related to the "black ships" appeared on the market at that time, each of them likely printed in print runs of as much as 2,000 copies.

In the 19th century, ''kawaraban'' began to report on political events. Edicts were issued attempting to restrict their content or ban them outright, but ''kawaraban'' continued to circulate unabated. When [[Commodore Perry]] and his "black ships" arrived in [[1853]] and again in [[1854]], townspeople were prevented from seeing the foreigners in person, but were able to learn something of the events from ''kawaraban'' publications. More than five hundred different prints related to the "black ships" appeared on the market at that time, each of them likely printed in print runs of as much as 2,000 copies. In content and style, some of these [[Bakumatsu period]] ''kawaraban'' begin to closely resemble political cartoons; one example of this is a print depicting Commodore Perry as a devil or demon, drawing upon standard Buddhist iconographies for such creatures.<ref>Steele, 79.</ref>

Due to their ephemeral nature and fragile materiality, the vast majority of ''kawaraban'' published do not survive. However, those that do provide a glimpse into another aspect entirely of Edo period society not necessarily represented in any other sources.

Due to their ephemeral nature and fragile materiality, the vast majority of ''kawaraban'' published do not survive. However, those that do provide a glimpse into another aspect entirely of Edo period society not necessarily represented in any other sources.

==References==

==References==

*William Steele, "Goemon's New World View: Popular Representations of the Opening of Japan," ''Ajia bunka kenkyû'' 17 (1989), 69-83.

*William Steele, "Goemon's New World View: Popular Representations of the Opening of Japan," ''Ajia bunka kenkyû'' 17 (1989), 69-83.

[[Category:Edo Period]]

[[Category:Edo Period]]

[[Category:Bakumatsu]]

[[Category:Bakumatsu]]

[[Category:Historical Documents]]

[[Category:Historical Documents]]