Splendours of Japan: Highlights from the Bodleian Library
With contributions by Alessandro Bianchi, Peter Kornicki, Melissa McCormick, Edward Kamens, Marinita Stiglitz, Katja Triplett and Laura Moretti.
Bodleian Library Publishing (2025)
ISBN-13: 978-1851245901
Review by Sanae Inagaki
Splendours of Japan offers a multifaceted introduction to the culture of Japanese books. Drawing on rare materials from the Bodleian Library’s collection at the University of Oxford, the book explores the history of Japanese printed works from a variety of perspectives, including print technology, materials, binding, calligraphic styles, and publishing systems. Through these lenses, the reader gains insight into different aspects of Japanese culture as reflected through books.
This is neither a dry academic catalogue nor an overly simplified guide for beginners. Instead, it strikes a thoughtful balance between the two, opening up new perspectives for the reader. For me, this book offered me an opportunity to reconsider the historical and cultural contexts of Japanese books and publishing from angles I had previously overlooked.
One of the first chapters that captured my attention was chapter four by Marinita Stiglitz, ‘The Japanese Book: Paper, Colour and Lustre’. This section highlights the materials and techniques essential to the physical creation of books, such as washi paper, pigments, and surface treatment. The chapter focuses on how Japanese books were physically constructed, framed through the triad of “paper, colour, lustre”. The selection of paper, the use of colourants, and the finishing techniques each reflect the accumulated skill and knowledge of the craftspeople involved. These details are presented in a clear and accessible manner.
While books are often seen primarily as vessels for reading, storing, or transmitting information, this chapter reminds us that they are also crafted objects. Long before they are read, books are made—and in the process of their making, culture is already embedded. This shift in perspective is woven throughout the book.
Chapter five by Katja Triplett, ‘Typography and Jesuit Mission Prints’, focuses on the activities of the Jesuit mission in Japan and the role printed materials played in their work. The chapter sheds light on how printing served as a tool of religious, linguistic, and cultural exchange—a topic explored through specific examples and careful documentation.
Particularly intriguing is the discussion of multilingual books. Missionary texts often used both black and red ink to distinguish different sections of the page, with each colour having a specific functional role. Some texts combined Romanised Japanese with Portuguese, revealing how the missionaries prioritised vernacular communication.
These choices suggest that the missionaries aimed not simply to impose European knowledge, but to speak directly to Japanese audiences in their own language. Through this practice of printing, we see evidence of cultural negotiation and adaptation—something this chapter conveys through concrete examples.
Chapter six by Laura Moretti, ‘Commercial Publications in Tokugawa and Meiji Japan’, presents the development of commercial publishing in Japan from the Edo period (1603-1868) into the Meiji era (1868-1912). It traces the evolution of the publishing network from its roots in 17th-century Kyoto to its expansion into Edo and Osaka in the 18th century. This movement is shown to have facilitated the circulation of knowledge and the integration of publishing into daily life.
One particularly interesting example is the account of Tsuruya Kiemon, a prominent Edo-period publisher. His work on publications such as Hachiman Taro Ichidaiki is analysed in relation to woodblock printing techniques and narrative structure, demonstrating the close connection between the practical aspects of publishing and the content itself.
Works by artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige(1797-1858) also circulated widely within this commercial framework, becoming familiar cultural objects for a broad urban readership. Reading this chapter, I was reminded how deeply publishing practices were embedded in the rhythms of everyday life in Edo Japan.
Overall, this book offers a wide-ranging view of Japanese cultural history through the medium of books. Its clarity and balance make it accessible to non-specialists while still offering valuable insight for those with prior knowledge.
I was especially drawn to the case studies in Chapters five and six. The records of intercultural contact through printed matter, and the growth of a commercial publishing industry, both reveal how books functioned as more than just containers for knowledge.
The book also includes chapters that explore how seasonal aesthetics—such as those found in waka poetry—were conveyed through book design, further demonstrating the richness of its subject matter. It is a valuable read not only for those interested in publishing and book history, but also for anyone looking to gain a fresh perspective on Japanese culture.