Books on the bookshelves: a short history of the book in early modern Japan

Sat 8 November 2014

University Library

The increasing level of literacy amongst the population and the development of commercial blockprinting drastically influenced the production and consumption of books in early modern Japan. From the mid-seventeenth century onwards books were no longer a commodity enjoyed only by a restricted élite, and reading gradually became a common activity in many households. Alessandro Bianchi’s collection of Japanese popular literature won the Rose Book Collecting Prize in 2012; today he describes the kinds of commercial publications which were accessible to contemporary readers, as well as showing a few highlights from his collection.

Cost: Donation