Five illustrated travel guides for the provinces

Property from the Japan Society Library, London

Five illustrated travel guides for the provinces

each encased in 20^th century fitted blue linen board case with impressed gold leaf Japan Society Imperial chrysanthemum crest, and comprising:

Takahara Shunshosai (act. circa 1772-1801) (artist)

Akisato Rito (act. circa 1780-1814) (author)

 A Collection of Pictures of Famous Places in Yamato Province (Yamato meisho zue)

woodblock printed illustrated book, 6 volumes bound as 7 volumes (complete), (volume 6 bound as 2 volumes), date: 1791 (Kansei 3), publishers: Takahashi Heisuke, Ogawa Tazaemon, and two others, binding: fukurotoji (pouch binding)

each volume with numerous double-page illustrations interspersed with double-pages of text relating to famous places in Yamato Province (present day Nara Prefecture)

volume 6 (part two) with four-page postscript signed Rito Akisato Shoseki and two seals (identifying the author as Akisato Rito), and Shunchosai Takehara Nobushige and two seals (identifying the artist as Takehara Shunchosai) and dated Kansei sannen shingai shigatsu (4th month 1791); colophon also dated Kansei 3 and states four publishers as above

Takahara Shunshosai (act. circa 1772-1801) (artist)

Akisato Rito (act. circa 1780-1814) (author)

A Collection of Pictures of Famous Places in Settsu (Settsu meisho zue)

woodblock printed illustrated book, 12 volumes (complete), date: 1798 (Kansei 10), publishers: Morimoto Tasuke, Ogawa Tazaemon and three others, binding: fukurotoji (pouch binding), blue covers, encased in a 20^th century fitted blue linen board case with impressed gold leaf Japan Society Imperial chrysanthemum crest

each volume with numerous double-page illustrations interspersed with double-pages of text

volume 12 with three-page postscript signed Rito Akisato Shoseki and two seals; colophon dated Kansei ju nen….ku gatsu (1798, 9^th month) and states publisher details as above

Takahara Shunshosai (act. circa 1772-1801) (artist)

Akisato Rito (act. circa 1780-1814) (author)

A Collection of Pictures of Famous Places in Izumi Province (Izumi meisho zue)

woodblock printed illustrated book, 4 volumes (complete), date: 1796 (Kansei 8), publishers: Takahashi Heisuke, Ogawa Tazaemon, and three others, binding: fukurotoji (pouch binding), light blue embossed covers, encased in a 20^th century fitted blue linen board case with impressed gold leaf Japan Society Imperial chrysanthemum crest

each volume with numerous double-page illustrations interspersed with double-pages of text relating to famous places in Izumi Province (present day Osaka Prefecture)

volume 4 with postscript signed Rito Akisato Shoseki and two seals, dated Kansei shichinen kinoto-u (1795), colophon signed Shunchosai Takehara Nobushige, dated Kansei hachinen (1796), and stating five publishers as above

Niwa Tokei (1760-1822) (artist)

Akisato Rito (act. circa 1780-1814) (author)

A Collection of Pictures of Famous Places in Kawachi (Kawachi meisho zue)

woodblock printed illustrated book, 6 volumes (complete?), date: 1801 (Kyowa 1), publishers: Takahashi Heisuke, Ogawa Tazaemon, and four others, binding: fukurotoji (pouch binding), light blue covers, encased in a 20^th century fitted blue linen board case with impressed gold leaf Japan Society Imperial chrysanthemum crest

each volume with numerous double-page illustrations interspersed with double-pages of text, colophon signed Niwa Tokei and two seals, dated Kyowa gannen (1801), and with publisher details as above

Shin Sekiden (dates uknown) (author)

Nakai Ranko (1767-1830) (artist)

Pictures of a Tour of Famous Places of Harima Province (Banshu) (Banshu meisho junran zue)

woodblock printed illustrated book, 5 volumes (complete), date: 1804 (Bunka 1, publishers: Shioya Chube and four others, binding: fukurotoji (pouch binding), light blue covers, encased in a 20^th century fitted blue linen board case with impressed gold leaf Japan Society Imperial chrysanthemum crest

each volume with numerous double-page illustrations interspersed with double-pages of text relating to famous places in Harima Province (present day Hyogo Prefecture)

volume 5 with colophon dated Bunka gannen (1804) and stating the publishers as above

This is a travel guide which pictures and describes historic sites and the origins of place names from the city of Osaka to Ako.

Each obon: approx. 25.8 X 18.1 cm., 10⅛ x 7 in.