Minneapolis Institute of Art

Draft of New Guide to the Ways of the West (Tsūzoku nichijō Seiyō shohō shinsho sōkō)

Japan

Date

c. 1870s

Medium

Woodblock printed book, ink on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

As the Japanese ports opened up to foreign powers, the sight of foreigners became more common in Japan. Naturally, curiosity and interest in the lives of Westerners soared as Japan entered the Meiji period (1868–1912). New Guide to the Ways of the West attempted to answer various questions about the lives of Europeans and Americans. The book covers all the basics and more: numbers (Roman, Arabic, and English), the alphabet, measurements and units, currency names and rates, notable exports of certain European countries, a visual dictionary of objects, architecture, manners, recipes, children’s games, agricultural practices, horticulture, and animal husbandry. Not all books prepared for print made it to publication, which is why it’s crossed out on the label. While this book only exists as a draft, one can see how a writer prepared a manuscript for woodblock printing. The writer laid out each page, makings sure to mark the borders and margins himself, and altered illustrations with layers of paper or red ink. Asia

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