Products of greater Japan: Ukiyo-e illustrations showing the world of work in Meiji Japan
Otherworldly creatures, geisha in exquisitely detailed kimono, and views of Japan’s natural beauty: such images likely come to mind when thinking of the ‘floating world’ of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints. However, something much more down to earth captured my imagination as I looked through the Auckland Libraries’ recently digitised illustrated Japanese books from Sir George Grey’s personal collection: a collection of Ukiyo-e illustrations showing the world of work in Meiji Japan.
The Dai Nippon Bussan Zue 大日本物産図会 (Products of Greater Japan) is a collection of Nishiki-e (coloured woodblock prints) that depict the industries of different areas of Japan in the early Meiji era. Each page shows not only a different area and its local specialty, but also the process by which it was produced, and the lives of the people who made it. The illustrations are accompanied by an explanation of the product and production process. These are written in modern Japanese, with difficult to read Chinese characters also written in the phonetic Katakana script.
Published in 1877, the 118 illustrations in this concertina style book are the work of the Ukiyo-e printmaker Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842-1894, also known as Ando Tokubei.) It was published by Okura Magobei of Nihonbashi, Tokyo. The artist’s name and address are listed on the left of each illustration, and the publisher’s on the right.
The process by which such Nishiki-e were produced is itself captured in one of the illustrations, ‘Making Nishiki-e Woodblock Prints in Tokyo.’ In this image both men and women can be seen performing various stages of the production process and using Nishiki-e to make prints, books and fans. In the background, we get a glimpse of the storefront. Customers, including a man with outstretched hands and a look of joy on his face and two men in what look to be Western style hats, peruse the merchandise with interest. Perhaps this image could even show the publisher’s own business? This is suggested by Ukiyo-e scholar Megumi Soda in her description of this image in the recent publication, Ukiyo-e Work Scenes: Products of Greater Japan. This book, which includes detailed information on each scene and a transcription of the text, was published in December 2019. While it is currently only available in Japanese, it is timely that its publication has coincided with the digitisation of the library’s copy.
It is important to note that Utagawa Hiroshige III is not the same artist as Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858, also known as Ando Hiroshige) whose name appears in the title of the Auckland City Art Gallery’s current exhibition: Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan. As this title suggests, Ando Hiroshige lived through and chronicled Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868.) This was a long period of relative political stability and isolation from the outside world. On the other hand, the work of Utagawa Hiroshige III, his disciple, shows the social and cultural change brought by the onset of the Meiji era (1868-1912.) According to Soda, the third Hiroshige is thought to have made his debut under this name just one year before the start of the new era. This was shortly after he married Ando Hiroshige’s daughter, allowing him to inherit the title. This same daughter had previously been married to (and abandoned by) another disciple who had used the name Hiroshige II.
Products of Greater Japan was first distributed at Japan’s First National Industrial Exposition. This was held in Ueno Park, in the current location of the Tokyo National Museum. The goal of this exposition was to promote regional industries from around Japan to a wider audience. Japan’s rapid industrialization, including the development of its railways and the opening of its ports to foreign ships, had made both domestic and international trade possible in a way that would have been unthinkable just ten years earlier.
Outward signs of the changing times pop up throughout Products of Greater Japan. Foreign ships can be seen moored near Asakusa in Tokyo, as men produce nori. They are there again in Kobe prefecture, as barrels of sake are lined up.
The workers cutting ice in ‘Exporting Ice from Hakodate, Hokkaido’, are wrapped up warmly in Western coats and scarfs, perhaps necessitated by the cold climate. There is a great variety of head wear on display in this illustration, with men in traditional woven head wear, bowler hats, and hats that look to have a Russian influence. According to Soda, such ice production was prompted by the expanding international ice industry, and the growth in ice imports from Boston.
What struck me first about this work, however, was that so many of these industries still exist in the same locations today. This makes Products of Greater Japan a fascinating guide for those with an interest in discovering Japan’s traditional crafts and local delicacies.
One of the best examples of this is ‘Making Imari Porcelain in Hizen Province (1 and 2)’. Now a part of Saga prefecture, Imari is a small town on the Island of Kyushu in Western Japan. It has a centuries long history of porcelain production, which continues to the present day. The first page of this two page spread shows the clay being sourced from pits in a garden, kneaded by a group of women and then crafted into bowls and other vessels on wheels by two men. One of these men is smoking a long pipe as he works, observed by a child who is returning from delivering clay to the women.
In the second picture, a woman and a child line up the vessels for delivery to the kiln. The opening of what looks to be nagagama (traditional climbing kiln) can be seen to the right, behind a man delivering a basket of works to be decorated. Three men, including an elderly man in glasses sit inside a small room. They are applying patterns in red and blue, colours which are the hallmarks of Imari porcelain.
It is likely that if you were to visit Imari today, you would find studios producing works in a very similar manner. Porcelain production is still one of the area’s major industries, along with tourism related to it. The area has several galleries and museums dedicated to its history of porcelain and ceramics production, and a festival is held to promote the industry every April. The commitment to both continued production, and the preservation of traditional practices left a strong impression on me when I visited the area as a student.
What look to be Imari porcelain vessels can even be seen holding flowers in another illustration. ‘Making Folding Fans in Nagoya, Owari Prefecture’ shows women making colourful fans in a somewhat more refined setting. In the background a child is placing irises in a red patterned vase. Nagoya is another artisanal centre which has retained many of the traditional craft practices featured in this book. The art of creating these folding fans originated in Kyoto, but is still widespread in Nagoya, as is the practice of tie-dyeing shown in ‘Tie-dyeing in Arimatsu, Owari Province.’
There are still elements of the surreal in Products of Greater Japan. A man hacks at the tentacle of a giant octopus as it protrudes out of the sea and into his boat in Toyama prefecture in ‘Giant Octopus in Namekawa, Etchu Province.’ While this area is still known for its octopus fishing, it is hard to think that some artistic license wasn’t taken here!
To anyone wanting to see a little of the world from their couch right now, I recommend taking a look through the 65 digitised prints from Products of Greater Japan now available on Kura Heritage Collections Online. And, when possible, come and meet the work in person at the Central City Library’s Heritage Collections Reading Room for an up-close encounter with the dawn of Japan’s industrial age.
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| 三代目 歌川広重 (Utagawa Hiroshige III). 北海道函館氷輸出之圖 Shipping ice. From: 大日本物産圖會 Products of Greater Japan. 1877. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. |
The Dai Nippon Bussan Zue 大日本物産図会 (Products of Greater Japan) is a collection of Nishiki-e (coloured woodblock prints) that depict the industries of different areas of Japan in the early Meiji era. Each page shows not only a different area and its local specialty, but also the process by which it was produced, and the lives of the people who made it. The illustrations are accompanied by an explanation of the product and production process. These are written in modern Japanese, with difficult to read Chinese characters also written in the phonetic Katakana script.
Published in 1877, the 118 illustrations in this concertina style book are the work of the Ukiyo-e printmaker Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842-1894, also known as Ando Tokubei.) It was published by Okura Magobei of Nihonbashi, Tokyo. The artist’s name and address are listed on the left of each illustration, and the publisher’s on the right.
The process by which such Nishiki-e were produced is itself captured in one of the illustrations, ‘Making Nishiki-e Woodblock Prints in Tokyo.’ In this image both men and women can be seen performing various stages of the production process and using Nishiki-e to make prints, books and fans. In the background, we get a glimpse of the storefront. Customers, including a man with outstretched hands and a look of joy on his face and two men in what look to be Western style hats, peruse the merchandise with interest. Perhaps this image could even show the publisher’s own business? This is suggested by Ukiyo-e scholar Megumi Soda in her description of this image in the recent publication, Ukiyo-e Work Scenes: Products of Greater Japan. This book, which includes detailed information on each scene and a transcription of the text, was published in December 2019. While it is currently only available in Japanese, it is timely that its publication has coincided with the digitisation of the library’s copy.
 |
| 三代目 歌川広重 (Utagawa Hiroshige III). 東京錦絵製造之図 Making nishiki-e. From: 大日本物産圖會 Products of Greater Japan. 1877. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. |
It is important to note that Utagawa Hiroshige III is not the same artist as Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858, also known as Ando Hiroshige) whose name appears in the title of the Auckland City Art Gallery’s current exhibition: Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan. As this title suggests, Ando Hiroshige lived through and chronicled Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868.) This was a long period of relative political stability and isolation from the outside world. On the other hand, the work of Utagawa Hiroshige III, his disciple, shows the social and cultural change brought by the onset of the Meiji era (1868-1912.) According to Soda, the third Hiroshige is thought to have made his debut under this name just one year before the start of the new era. This was shortly after he married Ando Hiroshige’s daughter, allowing him to inherit the title. This same daughter had previously been married to (and abandoned by) another disciple who had used the name Hiroshige II.
Products of Greater Japan was first distributed at Japan’s First National Industrial Exposition. This was held in Ueno Park, in the current location of the Tokyo National Museum. The goal of this exposition was to promote regional industries from around Japan to a wider audience. Japan’s rapid industrialization, including the development of its railways and the opening of its ports to foreign ships, had made both domestic and international trade possible in a way that would have been unthinkable just ten years earlier.
Outward signs of the changing times pop up throughout Products of Greater Japan. Foreign ships can be seen moored near Asakusa in Tokyo, as men produce nori. They are there again in Kobe prefecture, as barrels of sake are lined up.
 |
| 三代目 歌川広重 (Utagawa Hiroshige III). 武蔵國浅草海苔製圖 Drying nori. From: 大日本物産圖會 Products of Greater Japan. 1877. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. |
The workers cutting ice in ‘Exporting Ice from Hakodate, Hokkaido’, are wrapped up warmly in Western coats and scarfs, perhaps necessitated by the cold climate. There is a great variety of head wear on display in this illustration, with men in traditional woven head wear, bowler hats, and hats that look to have a Russian influence. According to Soda, such ice production was prompted by the expanding international ice industry, and the growth in ice imports from Boston.
 |
| 三代目 歌川広重 (Utagawa Hiroshige III). 北海道函館氷輸出之圖 Shipping ice. From: 大日本物産圖會 Products of Greater Japan. 1877. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. |
What struck me first about this work, however, was that so many of these industries still exist in the same locations today. This makes Products of Greater Japan a fascinating guide for those with an interest in discovering Japan’s traditional crafts and local delicacies.
One of the best examples of this is ‘Making Imari Porcelain in Hizen Province (1 and 2)’. Now a part of Saga prefecture, Imari is a small town on the Island of Kyushu in Western Japan. It has a centuries long history of porcelain production, which continues to the present day. The first page of this two page spread shows the clay being sourced from pits in a garden, kneaded by a group of women and then crafted into bowls and other vessels on wheels by two men. One of these men is smoking a long pipe as he works, observed by a child who is returning from delivering clay to the women.
 |
| 三代目 歌川広重 (Utagawa Hiroshige III). 肥前伊万里陶器造図 一 Manufacturing Imari porcelain. From: 大日本物産圖會 Products of Greater Japan. 1877. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. |
In the second picture, a woman and a child line up the vessels for delivery to the kiln. The opening of what looks to be nagagama (traditional climbing kiln) can be seen to the right, behind a man delivering a basket of works to be decorated. Three men, including an elderly man in glasses sit inside a small room. They are applying patterns in red and blue, colours which are the hallmarks of Imari porcelain.
 |
| 三代目 歌川広重 (Utagawa Hiroshige III). 肥前伊万里陶器造図 一 Manufacturing Imari porcelain. From: 大日本物産圖會 Products of Greater Japan. 1877. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. |
It is likely that if you were to visit Imari today, you would find studios producing works in a very similar manner. Porcelain production is still one of the area’s major industries, along with tourism related to it. The area has several galleries and museums dedicated to its history of porcelain and ceramics production, and a festival is held to promote the industry every April. The commitment to both continued production, and the preservation of traditional practices left a strong impression on me when I visited the area as a student.
What look to be Imari porcelain vessels can even be seen holding flowers in another illustration. ‘Making Folding Fans in Nagoya, Owari Prefecture’ shows women making colourful fans in a somewhat more refined setting. In the background a child is placing irises in a red patterned vase. Nagoya is another artisanal centre which has retained many of the traditional craft practices featured in this book. The art of creating these folding fans originated in Kyoto, but is still widespread in Nagoya, as is the practice of tie-dyeing shown in ‘Tie-dyeing in Arimatsu, Owari Province.’
 |
| 三代目 歌川広重 (Utagawa Hiroshige III). 尾州名古屋扇折の図 Making folding fans. From: 大日本物産圖會 Products of Greater Japan. 1877. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. |
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| 三代目 歌川広重 (Utagawa Hiroshige III). 尾張國有松纐リ之図 Tie-dyeing. From: 大日本物産圖會 Products of Greater Japan. 1877. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. |
There are still elements of the surreal in Products of Greater Japan. A man hacks at the tentacle of a giant octopus as it protrudes out of the sea and into his boat in Toyama prefecture in ‘Giant Octopus in Namekawa, Etchu Province.’ While this area is still known for its octopus fishing, it is hard to think that some artistic license wasn’t taken here!
To anyone wanting to see a little of the world from their couch right now, I recommend taking a look through the 65 digitised prints from Products of Greater Japan now available on Kura Heritage Collections Online. And, when possible, come and meet the work in person at the Central City Library’s Heritage Collections Reading Room for an up-close encounter with the dawn of Japan’s industrial age.
A beautiful and fascinating piece of history and a really interesting article - thank you! Japanese culture and practice hugely values regional expertise and specialties still, and this collection shows this so well - off to explore it!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment, Ineka. We are sure you will enjoy exploring this collection! Zoe - Heritage Collections.
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