Special Exhibitions

The Bestseller of the Edo Period
- Selected Poems of the Tang Dynasty
Tang-shi-xuan

Term：Jan. 13, 2021 (Wed) - Feb. 27 (Sat) 　Before the Edo period, “scholarship” meant the study of Chinese classics “Kangaku（漢学）”. While continuing this study of “Kangaku”, the Japanese also began to pursue their own scholarship; this was the birth of “Kokugaku” (national learning). Many Chinese books shipped from China supported this scholarship. Those who accepted the Chinese classics and made them their own would eventually produce Japan’s own unique woodblock-printed “Wakokubon（和刻本）”. Movements such as this have greatly contributed to the reception and development of scholarship. Among them, Chinese poetry, especially Tang poetry, permeated to the common folk of Edo, and was received as a beloved literary art. In particular, “Tang-shi-xuan（唐詩選）” became explosively popular. Repeated publications and numerous related books tell the story of that popularity.

　In this exhibition, we’d like to take a look at collections of poems by exemplary Tang dynasty poets which promoted the popularity of “Tang-shi-xuan”, known as “Bie ji（別集）”, actual selections from “Tang-shi-xuan”, a number of reference books for reading “Tang-shi-xuan”, as well as the impact these had on society as is seen in ukiyo-e. Please take a look at why “Tang-shi-xuan” was so loved, and at the culture of publishing which flourished in the Edo period.


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