Bio:

Matsuba Ryoko specialises in Edo period print culture. She is currently a Lecturer in Japanese Digital Arts and Humanities at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, University of East Anglia. She earned her PhD from Ritsumeikan University in 2008. Ryoko was a curatorial team member for two major exhibitions at the British Museum: ‘Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave’ (2017) and ‘The Citi Exhibition Manga’ (2019), where she co-authored the exhibition catalogue. She is also coordinating a joint project between the Art Research Center at Ritsumeikan University and the Sainsbury Institute to create a comprehensive digital archive of collections of Japanese paintings, prints, illustrated books, and decorative arts in the UK.

Summary:

This lecture examines the role of ‘format’ in the evolution of Japanese visual storytelling, tracing its development from the Edo period (1608-1868) to modern manga. Central to this discussion is the relationship between format and printing technology. I explore how kusazōshi—Edo-period narrative fiction, characterized by its seamless integration of illustrations and text—serves as a precursor to modern manga. By focusing on the continuity of format, I argue that children’s literary genres from the Meiji period (1868-1912) acted as a bridge, preserving the aesthetic and cultural practices of kusazōshi and establishing a lineage that connects Edo-period and modern visual storytelling.

The lecture also delves into the survival strategies employed by Edo-period print publishers as they navigated the significant cultural and technological shifts of the Meiji era. These publishers, originally reliant on woodblock printing, transitioned to using engraved copperplates (dōban) in the 1880s, as this technique proved more cost-effective for producing children’s picture books (ehon). Despite this technological evolution, the shift from woodblock printing to copperplates was seamless, allowing publishers to maintain their connection to traditional Edo imagery. This blend of the old and new not only ensured their survival in the publishing industry but also laid the foundation for modern popular publications. The resilience and adaptability of these premodern publishers played a crucial role in shaping the landscape of modern Japanese popular culture.