西川筆の海 Viewing and reviewing “Nishikawa’s Inkwell”

AAS Annual Conference 2010 Jenny Preston, PhD candidate, SOAS

Nishikawa fude no umi (Nishikawa’s Inkwell) front cover

ôbon, sumizuri

A Pillowbook of Libidinous Actors 好色役者枕かえし 1719

Kôshoku yakusha: preface and opening section of the first narrative with the crest of Sakakiyama Shirotarô 榊山四郎太郎

この紋の思わく有

Makurabon taiheki 枕本大開 1720: A Pillowbook of Great Peace, or, A Pillowbook of the Great Cunt

Tsubone of the corridor ：かいろの局

Tsubone of rock and tree いわきの局

Kôshoku yakusha: the Kyoto actor Yamatoyama Jinzaemon 大和山甚左衛門 with the papermaker in the Kamo river

Woman: You’re Yamatoyama sama aren’t you? Oooo, feels good

Man: Aah, I’m in….Man: Now shake it

Kôshoku yakusha: the Kyoto actor Katayama Kozaemon 片山小左衛門 with the stone seller from Hakusan after a glass of sake

Woman: Haven’t I seen you on stage somewhere?Man: Aah, I’m coming…

The Kyoto actor Adachi Saburôsaemon 　安達三郎左衛門 .

Child A: Just like dogsChild B: Shall we chuck water over them

Woman: This is a bit suddenMan: Listen, I’m in now

The actors Arashi San’emon (Osaka) 嵐三右衛門 (right) and Sakakiyama Jinsuke (Kyoto) 榊山甚助

I just can’t handle this any longer Woman: Oooh Arashi-san…

Hatsu ho iro nasake kyôkasho 初ホ（穂）色情教化書

女正ニ死セントスルノ光景顔容ヲ見

ルモノ一子俄然トシテ立

The woman looks as if she’s about to die,just looking at her face, you get hard

Actor: 市川九蔵Ichikawa KyûzoEdo

額ノ八ノ字ニ

宜シク注目スベキ悲悦氾濫

トセンモノハ

人情ヲ知レ

テトラエラレシ

Take a good look at the creased forehead, the overflowing of sadness and happiness, you can tell this is meant as an Indication of human feeling

Actor: 水木竹十郎Mizuki TakejûrôEdo

Ozaki Kyûya 尾崎久弥

1927-28 (Shôwa 2-3) addenda to Nishikawa Fude no Umi