The contribution of foreign craftsmen

Click to take a closer look

Click to take a closer look Even Mount Hiei (the center of Tendai Buddhism), which for long had not become involved in printing preferring to enjoy its status as the main center of Buddhist manuscript culture, between 1279 and 1296, under the guidance of abbot Shōsen, embarked on a large-scale printing of the works of the sect’s founder Zhiyi (the so-called ‘Three Great Works of the Lotus’), namely, the Great Concentration and Insight (Ch. Mohe Zhiguan), the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (Ch. Fahua Xuanyi), the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (ch. Fahua Wenzhu), as well as six commentaries in 150 scrolls (fig.3 shows one of those).

Click to take a closer look The texts that were used to prepare the printing blocks bear the names of 28 “carvers.” One of them, by the name of “Lu Silang [J. Go Jirō] of the Great Song,” seems to have been from China. In 1276 (Deyou 2), the Mongol army captured the Southern Song capital city Linan (modern Hangzhou), thus initiating the demise of the Song dynasty. It is quite possible that this Mr. Lu fled to Japan to escape the unrest. Also of foreign origin was “the lay priest Wu Sanlang [J. Go Saburō] of Qiantang in Song,” whose name appears in a copy of the Kobun Kōkyō (Old-Text Classic of Filial Piety) dating from 1297 (En’nin 5). The Wu were a family of scholars from the Kyoto area and were active as copiers of Chinese texts. In this manner, medieval Japanese texts in Chinese often mention the names of immigrant artisans.The newer sects of medieval Japan, such as the Pure Land sect, were even more resolute in embracing the new medium than the traditional schools (fig.4). The Pure Land sect, for instance, seems to have produced a print edition of Genshin’s Ōjōyōshū (Essentials of Rebirth in the Pure Land, 985) as early as 1210 (Jōgen 4). If true, this would be the first work by a Japanese author ever to be printed. Near the end of the Kamakura period, in 1321, the sect also printed the Record of Words by the Kurodani Saint (Kurodani jōnin gotōroku), a collection of the sayings of the patriarch Hōnen (1133-1212), which is the first book in “mixed” kanji and kana script (kanamajiri-bun) to be printed in history.

Click to take a closer look
Increasing variety of printed books
As you can see above, by the Kamakura period the temples of the Nara-Kinai area were putting out printed books at a steady pace.Although all publishing activity at this stage focused on Buddhist content, there was a transition from texts printed for ritual and symbolic purposes to texts meant to be read and studied, such as textbooks and the works of the great patriarchs. The marks and annotations that many of the books still in existence bear provide ample evidence of this.In the medieval period, the core canonical texts were printed either in scroll (fig.5, the traditionally more prestigious format) or in accordion (fig.6, orihon) format.


Sino-Japanese Interactions Through Rare Books

Our purpose is to transform access to education.
We offer a diverse selection of courses from leading universities and cultural institutions from around the world. These are delivered one step at a time, and are accessible on mobile, tablet and desktop, so you can fit learning around your life.
We believe learning should be an enjoyable, social experience, so our courses offer the opportunity to discuss what you’re learning with others as you go, helping you make fresh discoveries and form new ideas.
You can unlock new opportunities with unlimited access to hundreds of online short courses for a year by subscribing to our Unlimited package. Build your knowledge with top universities and organisations.
Learn more about how FutureLearn is transforming access to education