Top of page

View 23 images in sequence.
[ Volume 1 ]

More Resources

View 28 images in sequence.
[ Volume 2 ]
View 21 images in sequence.
[ Volume 3 ]

About this Item

Title

  • Taishokan.

Summary

  • Taishokan is a story loosely based on the life of Fujiwara no Kamatari (614-69), who was a famous court official. In the story, the daughter of Kamatari is married to the emperor of China. When she hears that her father is going to build the main hall of the Kōfuku-ji Temple in Nara, she sends him Mugehōju, a precious crystal with divine powers, as a gift. While a military escort is sailing to Japan with the crystal, dragons attack the ship and the treasure is carried down to the palace of the dragon king at the bottom of the sea. To get the gem back, Kamatari devises a clever plan: he lures the dragon king up to the surface with dazzling music and dance, at the same time sending his concubine, who is an ama (woman diver), to sneak into the dragon's palace and retrieve the crystal. Books of this kind, with hand-drawn, full-color illustrations, are called nara-ehon, and were produced in the 17th century. The front cover shows a huge tree full of cherry blossoms, lavishly painted in gold against a deep-blue background.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [1600 to 1699]

Headings

  • -  Japan
  • -  600 to 699
  • -  Folklore
  • -  Fujiwara, Kamatari, 614-669
  • -  Japanese literature
  • -  Mythology, Japanese

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 3 books ; 33.5 x 24 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: National Diet Library.
  • -  Content in Japanese.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667438

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Taishokan. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1699, 1600] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667438/.

APA citation style:

(1600) Taishokan. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1699] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667438/.

MLA citation style:

Taishokan. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1699, 1600] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021667438/>.