江戸時代の読本 A Book Published during the Edo Era (1832)

江戸時代の読本

前編６冊

歌川国直の挿絵　米八と阿多𠮷

鶴舞図書館で江戸時代（１８３２）に出版された読本を借りてきた。戯作者為永春水著「春色梅児誉美」だ。複製であるが、当時のままの本である。今から１８９年も前の本を手にすることができるとは驚きだ。

この本は「遠山の金さん」で有名な町奉行遠山金四郎景元が天保の改革の一環として出版の規制を行ったが、風俗を乱すという理由で絶版になった本である。このため為永春水は入牢し、手鎖５０日間の刑を受けたのである。（手鎖とは手錠のこと）

これは遊郭、唐琴屋の美青年丹次郎を慕う芸者・米八、仇吉の2人と、許婚のお長との確執を描いているらしい。

なぜ絶版になったかを調べるために借りてきた。

A Book Published during the Edo Era (1832)

　 I borrowed a book “Shun-shoku Umegoyomi” written by Tamenaga Shunsui and published in 1832 during the Edo era. Although it was a replica, it is surprising that I can touch and read the book just as the people did 189 years ago.

   It was forced to go out of print by the Edo bugyo or the Edo police chief, Toyama Kinshiro Kagemoto, who is famous for its popular name, “Tohoyama no Kinsan” in today’s drama series. He faithfully enforced the regulations to restrict the publication of books which were against public morals during the Tenpou Reform. The writer, Tamenaga, was arrested and imprisoned in handcuffs for 50 days.

   The book depicts the antagonism among three people: a handsome young man of a licensed quarters named Tanjiro, and two high-ranked oiran prostitutes Yonehachi and Adakichi, and his fiancée, Ocho.

I borrowed the book because I wanted to know why this book went out of print.