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Tokaidochu Hizakurige

A comedy novel that became popular as a travel guidebook in the Edo period.

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"Tokaidochu Hizakurige" is the masterpiece of late Edo Period novelist Jippensha Ikku.
Published between 1802 and 1809, this comedy novel became so popular that it is considered the biggest bestseller of the Edo period.
The novel amusingly describes the two main characters, Yajirobei and Kitahachi, as they travel on foot along the "Tokaido Highway" from Edo (present-day Tokyo) to Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture.

The book was popular as a travel guidebook among people in the Edo period because of its detailed descriptions of inns, local specialties, local gourmet foods, and customs in each area where the traveler stopped along the way.
One of the charms of this book is that the text, written in the colloquial style of the time, allows the reader to vividly imagine the interactions of people living in the Edo period.

Not only has a modern translation of the novel been published, but it has also been the subject of many kabuki plays, movies, and TV dramas, making it an enduring masterpiece from the Edo period.

Outline

Tochimenya Yajirobe, a.k.a. "Yaji-san," a playboy by nature, and Kita-hachi, a.k.a. "Kita-san," who is unable to lead a sedate life, leave their home in Edo for one reason or another and set off to visit Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture.
He is involved in a series of unusual incidents at 53 stops along the Tokaido Highway (53 Stations of the Tokaido Highway), a major highway in the Edo period that connects Edo and Kyoto. The frivolous and irrepressible "Yaji-san Kita-san" duo, who are frivolous and irrepressible at heart, get into trouble with the innkeeper's grandmother when they try to crawl on her favorite girl at night and end up breaking the bath for the first time. The comedy ends with a bad song.

Highlights

  • A representative work by Jippensha Ikku, a novelist born in Fuchu, Suruga Province (present-day Shizuoka City) in the late Edo period.
  • A popular comedy novel that is said to have been the bestseller of the Edo period.
  • The novel describes in detail the inns, places of interest, and specialties that people stopped at on their journeys, allowing us to imagine how people of the time enjoyed their journeys.
  • Written in the colloquial style of the time, the novels provide a vivid image of the interactions of people in the Edo period.

Photos

  • The First Edition of the Tokaidochu Hizakurige (Collection of Fujieda City Folk Museum)

    The First Edition of the Tokaidochu Hizakurige (Collection of Fujieda City Folk Museum)

  • In the story, the post town "Okabe-shuku" where the two are said to have stopped by, and the existing inn "Ohatago Kashibaya "

    In the story, the post town "Okabe-shuku" where the two are said to have stopped by, and the existing inn "Ohatago Kashibaya "

  • Yaji-san and Kita-san's dolls at "Ohatago Kashibaya" in Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture

    Yaji-san and Kita-san's dolls at "Ohatago Kashibaya" in Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture

  • Bronze statue of Yaji and Kita erected to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of the book. (In front of Sumpu Castle Park in Shizuoka City)

    Bronze statue of Yaji and Kita erected to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of the book. (In front of Sumpu Castle Park in Shizuoka City)

  • The appearance of the highway that still retains the atmosphere of the Edo period. (Ainoshuku Utsunoya)

    The appearance of the highway that still retains the atmosphere of the Edo period. (Ainoshuku Utsunoya)

Official FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions have been vetted and answered directly by each listing.

Q

What kind of person was Jippensha Ikku, author of "Tokaidochu Hizakurige"?
A

Born in Fuchu, Suruga Province (present-day Shizuoka City), he was Japan's first professional writer. In the Edo period, there was no system of paying royalties to writers, so there were no novelists who could make a living only by writing. In such an era, he was the first novelist to make a living only by writing, thanks to the success of "Tokaidochu Hizakurige". It is not only his style that is humorous, but also many humorous anecdotes about the author himself.

Q

What made "Tokaidochu Hizakurige" so popular?
A

One of the reasons for its popularity was not only because it was an interesting story, but also because it was an attractive guidebook for travelers, with detailed descriptions of places of interest, local specialties, and local cuisine. It is also important to know that after the end of the Warring States period and the long period of peace in Edo, the literacy rate increased and people had more leisure time, making reading for entertainment a popular pastime.

Q

What is the meaning of "Hizakurige" in "Tokaidochu Hizakurige"?
A

The word means to travel on foot. Kurige means "chestnut-haired horse," and one's knees are likened to those of a chestnut-haired horse.

Q

Are there any books translated into modern languages?
A

There are books translated into modern languages that have been published and are still being read today.

Q

Is there a sequel to "Tokaidochu Hizakurige"?
A

A sequel to "Tokaidochu Hizakurige", "Zoku Hizakurige", was also published, and it was a large work that continued from the first to the twelfth chapter.

Details

Name in Japanese
東海道中膝栗毛（とうかいどうちゅうひざくりげ）
Author
Jippensha Ikku
First published
1802

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