Kitamura Kigin’s Genji monogatari kogetsushō, 1673 to 2025
Abstract
Abstract Kitamura Kigin’s Kogetsushō was published in 1673. It soon became the standard edition of the Tale of Genji , and continued in active use well into the 20th century. I compare Kigin’s work to other woodblock printed editions, focusing on page layout and choice of annotation. I also analyze why Kogetsushō remained the standard scholarly edition of Genji despite the challenges of the late-Edo Nativist scholars and the large societal changes of the Meiji period. The result illuminates Kigin’s accomplishment while also analyzing the difficulty of producing an annotated edition of such a long work.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Japanese History and Culture
Libraries
Manuscripts
and Books
Classical Studies and Philology
Publication details
- Journal / source
- East Asian Publishing and Society
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 86–112
- Publication date
- 11 February 2026
- Language
- EN