From sutra rubbings to woodblock printing

During the Heian period (794 – 1185), printing evolved from short texts to full-size books. What brought about these changes? How did printing technology develop to make them possible? Let’s answer these questions while looking at actual texts from the period.

Books introduced in the video:

• Bussetsu-Ninnou-Gokoku-Hannya-Haramitsu-Gyo, 1239
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• Myōhō Rengekyō, Heian period
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Keywords introduced in the video:

• Fujiwara no Michinaga
• Midō Kampakuki
• Heian capital
• Kan’na
• Hyakumantō Darani, Dharani Invocations of the One Million Pagodas.
• Nara
• Northern Song dynasty
• Shakyō, hand-copied sutra or the act of copying sutras by hand.
• Mount Tiantai
• Surigyō, printed sutras (literally, “Sutra rubbings”)
• Hokkekyō, Lotus Sutra.
• Amidakyō, Amithaba Sutra.
• Hanpon, woodblock printed book.
• Chōnen (938-1016), a Japanese monk in the Heian period.
• Emperor Taizong (r. 976-997), the second emperor of the Northern Song dynasty of China.
• Kaibao tripitaka. The set donated by Emperor Taizong is known as the Kaibao tripitaka, after the name of the Chinese reign era in which it was completed.
• orihon, accordion book. One of the major traditional bookbinding methods.
• Kōfukuji