Lecture
The World of Smallpox Picture Books: The Red Books for Smallpox in the Edo Period
- Tsuda Mayumi (Keio University)
- Date
- Wednesday 24 September 2025
- Time
- Serie
- Leiden Lecture Series in Japanese Studies
- Address
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- 2.01
In the past, smallpox was a disease that was greatly feared throughout the world, but in Japanese ukiyo-e prints and popular illustrated booksgraphic narratives (kusazōshi 草双紙) from the Edo period (1600–1868), it is difficult to detect any sense of horror or dread surrounding this infectious condition. The reason can be found in the tradition of producing pictures and picture books with talisman-like properties that were believed to ensure safe recovery from the illness. This talk will focus on Jippensha Ikku’s 十返舎一九 (1765–1831) Light Talk (Karukuchi banashi 軽口噺, 1803), the oldest surviving smallpox picture book and one that enjoyed the longest period of popularity. Through this example, I aim to explore the nature of such books and the context in which they were created.
