Meiji prints
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This print displays the title and table of contents of the Katei no Hana album, including the Japanese titles of the twelve prints*).
Series title and table of contents (from right to left):
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
市 | ishi | now | |
川 | kawa | manner | |
秀 | hii(deru) | excel | |
方 | kata | person | By the brush of |
筆 | hitsu | brush | Ishikawa Hidekata |
家 | ka | house | |
庭 | tei | garden | |
の | no | ’s | |
花 | hana | flower | Household flowers |
目 | moku | eye | |
録 | roku | record | Index |
初 | sho | beginning | |
春 | shun | spring | Early spring |
梅 | ume | plum | |
の | no | ’s | |
薫 | kaori | scent | The scent of plums |
お | o | ||
彼 | hi | he | Vernal equinox |
岸 | gan | shore | (literally ‘The other shore’) |
御 | o | honorific prefix | |
見 | mi(ru) | see | |
舞 | mai | dance | Visit to a sick person |
運 | un | luck | |
動 | dō | move | Play |
さ | sa | ||
徒 | tsu | ||
貴 | ki | ||
晴 | hare | clear up | Sunny weather in May |
夏 | natsu | summer | |
能 | no | ||
賜 | hi | gift | A summer day |
登 | nobo | ||
る | ru | rise | |
月 | tsuki | moon | The rising moon |
秋 | aki | autumn | |
さ | sa | ||
免 | me | Autumn rain | |
花 | hana | flower | |
心 | kokoro | heart | |
遠 | wo | The heart of a flower | |
朧 | oboro | hazy | |
月 | tsuki | moon | Hazy moon |
冬 | fuyu | winter | |
の | no | ’s | |
日 | hi | day | A winter day |
The two short columns on the bottom read from right to left:
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
日 | ni | sun | |
本 | hon | origin | |
者゛ | ba | ||
し | shi | Nihonbashi | |
滑 | kotsu | slide | |
稽 | kei | think | |
堂 | dō | hall | Kokkeidō |
the location and firm name of Akiyama Buemon.
This is followed by two red seals. The first seal contains the name of the publisher:
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
秋 | aki | autumn | |
山 | yama | mountain | Akiyama |
and the second the name of the carver:
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
宗 | mune | religion | |
岡 | oka | hill | Muneoka |
刀 | katana | knife | Carver |
The full name of the carver is Muneoka Shinkichi (1862-1929).
Provenance: Rare Illustrated Books
*) With many thanks to Naoko and Shinji Ōba for their help in translating all the Japanese text in this album.