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describes a type of printed Japanese book that was produced primarily in Kyoto between 1600 and 1680. The term literally means “books written in ''kana''” (''kana'' being the phonetic Japanese syllabary that is simpler to read and write than ''kanji'', or Chinese ideographs). The designation thus derives from the fact that the text of these books was written either entirely in ''kana'' or in a mixture of ''kana'' and ''kanji''. ''Kanazōshi'' are considered to be a transitional genre, bridging the gap between medieval romances and the first high point of Edo period (1600-1868) literature, the ''ukiyozōshi'' composed by Ihara Saikaku (1642–93). The genre comprises an unlikely assortment of essays, stories, travel guides for famous places, military chronicles, religious writings, and critical pieces. Despite the lack of uniformity in content, ''kanazōshi'' are classified as a distinct genre primarily based on the fact that they were the first literary works to be printed and widely circulated in Japan. Scholars also maintain that ''kanazōshi'' are generally of higher literary quality and more realistic than medieval forms, such as the ''otogizōshi'', that preceded them. ==Characteristics of ''Kanazōshi''== Before the 1620s, the only books available in Japan were handwritten manuscripts. The printed ''kanazōshi'' were less expensive and more widely available than these earlier manuscripts. They are thus considered the first example of commercial literature produced in Japan. One should keep in mind, however, the comparatively limited nature of their popularity. The cost of a single volume was still prohibitive, costing roughly the equivalent of what a laborer could earn for two or three days of work (4000 of Japanese currency). Moreover, the books, because of their small print runs (often only a few hundred copies), rarely circulated beyond Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo, the publishing centers in premodern Japan. Despite these limitations, the appearance of these books amounted to an important new trend in literary production. Closely tied to the rise of Japan's urban centers, the growing economic power of the ''chōnin'' (urban commoner) class, the improvement of literacy rates, and the advent of woodblock print technology, ''kanazōshi'' emerged as a new, distinctly plebeian form of literature. Its authors arose from the educated portion of the population, including scholars, Buddhist priests, courtiers, samurai and rōnin. But its readership consisted mostly of non-aristocratic residents of Japan's growing cities. In contrast to ''otogizōshi'' and other forms of medieval Japanese tales, ''kanazōshi'' tended to be more realistic, with fewer supernatural or fantastic elements. Whether meant to entertain or inform, ''kanazōshi'' narratives conveyed more details about the characters and their setting, contained more natural dialogue, and showcased a more representative slice of life. Although more skillfully written than ''otogizōshi'', ''kanazōshi'' are considered less advanced in terms of structure and wordplay than the subsequent ''ukiyozōshi'' composed by Saikaku. Reflecting the tastes of their comparatively less sophisticated audience, ''kanazōshi'' often relied upon simple puns to generate humor. For instance, the term “hanatare”, which can mean both a runny nose or a drooping flower, is used to describe a young child with the family name of Fujiwara (wisteria field). This type of pun typifies the level of humor found in ''kanazōshi''. Each ''kanazōshi'' book consisted of between one to twelve slim volumes of twenty to thirty leaves each, with roughly one-fifth of the space devoted to illustrations. Book prices were principally determined by the number of volumes. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kanazōshi」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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