INTORODUCTION
Karakuri Zui was written by Hosokawa Hanzo Yorinao (c.1749-96) and published in 1796. It offers extraordinarily detailed information about the automatic mechanical devices known as “karakuri” which were manufactured in Edo period (1603-1867). The book consists with three volumes and has so many diagrams that precisely depict the process of their manufacture. Thanks to the survival of this book, readers of today are able not only to understand the mechanical devices of Edo period but can even attempt to reconstruct them. I translated and annotated the whole contents of this original book into English, on top of the overview of the karakuri culture of Edo period, and published as the book Japanese Automata Karakuri Zui (JAK).

I am in stock of JAK and selling them now. I will continue blogging until this inventory runs out and I wish I will write the blog once a week. In this blog, I would like to write not only matters related contents of JAK but matters that I am learning and thinking since the publication of it.
So, here is the first blog. Please attention to the above picture. 

<Unauthorized reproduction of this blog is prohibited. ©Murakami Kazuo>
 

BLOG 1.   "Japanese showmen strike a Dutchman."

Showmen in Edo period were considered lower class people. However, some of them exited enthusiasm not only in public but in the upper-class people, and even Imperial Court gave them admiring and the honorable titles of the local government officers. Thanks to such honorable titles, showmen were permitted to have their theaters in cities by the local samurai governments. 

The illustration here is the Takeda Karakuri theater located at Douton-bori street, Osaka. This illustration and its story are inserted in the sightseeing guide book Settsu Meisho Zue published in the end of 18 century. In the right page of the illustration, a Dutchman, who was attended by many samurai, stands with his mouth opening wide. Takeda Karakuri was got the honorable title of Oumi-no-Jou (officer of Oumi province government) from Imperial Court in the year 1662. Oumi is Shiga prefecture next to Kyoto prefecture now. “Takeda Karakuri” was the most famous name in Edo period as the mechanical puppets show with their clockwork skills (ref: JAK p.17).