Cause Of World Unrest

KINTON, Dojin comp. et al. ANSEI FUBUNSHU: NATURAL DISASTERS DURING THE ANSEI PERIOD [1854-59]: The Flood, .
STUNNING LOOK AT THE GREAT ANSEI FLOOD A most unique & unusual set of 3 volumes, with two-four page color panoramic views. Each of these two panoramic views have opening pages that have extra pages on each end. Thus folding out from the center to make two pages on each side for a total of four page prints in all. * This set was nicely and skillfully illustrated by:Yoshitsuna [worked 1848-1868] pupil of Kuniyoshi; Kunichika [1835-1900] pupil of Toyokuni III [aka Kunisada]. The work discusses and illustrates some of the natural disasters of the period. * Ansei was the period when Commodore Perry returned to Yokohama and got a treaty of commerce with the reluctant Japanese. Perry's first arrival to Japan in 1852 caused a civil war to erupt. The factions were divided between allow- ing Westerners to establish diplomatic and commercial relat- relations versus those against allowing any foreigners into Japan. Those who were against use the motto was "Sono Joi" or "repel the foreigners." * It was believed that the eventual allowing of the American Commodore Perry & other Western powers to establish official relations with Japan during this period was the cause of "Mappo." "Mappo" is the Buddhist term to explain nature's revenge for man's wrong-doing and immoral actions. Thus, the profusion of natural disasters during this period were attributed to Perry's arrival and the buckling of the Shogun government to allow official relations with foreigners to begin. * Per Toda, "This book describes the great storm and flood that struck the city of Edo in the autumn of Ansei 3 [1856]. It was probably a private publication." What Toda missed, was that this and another similar book of the period was banned by the Shogunate [see more below]. The entry just above this book in Toda: ANSEI KENBUNSHI by Hattori was also banned, and Toda states: "...this [set] is a record of the great Ansei flood & earthquake of Edo in 1855. According to a note attached to this book, for some reason the sale was prohibited after its publication." Thus, this book does NOT have the usual, standard and required colophon, which should cite imprint, nor any censor's seal ! What this means, is that this set of books were never sanctioned by the Shogun- ate's censors, therefore the imprint meaning: place, date & publisher was purposely omitted by those who published this work. Obviously this was banned & suppressed by the Shogun- ate & publication was not allowed. Clearly the Shogunate government didnt want people throughout Japan to learn of the great & profuse amount of natural disasters, because the people would know that "Mappo" had begun and the country was to be punished for its immoral acceptance of foreigners upon the sacred land of Japan. This could cause insurrection so the Shogunate banned any publications that would hint of disasters to avoid this situation. * * DETAILED CONTENTS: The first volume begins with commentary about natural disasters and why they strike Japan. It continues with illu- strations, which shows a flood scene, with a kind of Bird- God looking down on a drowning old lady, which is a symbolic portrait of the "Mappo" theme. The next is double panel view of a lucky villager who opens his Tansu [dresser] to find a Tai or seabream [a kind of red snapper, indicating good fortune] which is an ironic image, along with an octopus caught and hung on a hook, an eel, abalone along with edible sea weed are strewn about the floor. This is an omen of good fortune for a man with a "Pure heart" ! Followed by a four panel view of the tremendous flood & damage to the village, its houses, people and how some drowned, others are being rescued, household objects are floating down the main street from the deluge. Another night scene shows a man being pull- ed from the raging torrent by a fleeing villager as they head for high ground. Another shows the great deluge of rain fall, as animals and household furniture and objects are being rescued as people try to save their dwellings. The last picture shows wrecked ships along the coast. * Volume two continues with a night scene and lightning bolts across the black sky as the rain continues to pour down, villagers flee for their life. Followed by one that shows the reconstruction of the Buddhist temple roof, as the community collects & hands up roof tiles. Next is a double view is of a coast line, a broken bridge and the wreckage of many boats. This opens into the second four-panel panoramic view of a great river flowing through the town as houses crumble, large boats crash into buildings, others on boats attempt to rescue the floating furniture and assorted house- hold goods. Yet another night view of people clinging to trees & roof tops as animals and furniture flow by in the wild torrent. The last shows a tremendous wind that has blown a poor villager off a hill into the air in flight. * Volume three shows a bewildered bird with its feathers quite ruffled. Next shows a flock of dead black birds or crows as villagers collect them for burial. The last shows a big and strong man as he braves the white-water waves to cut a great rope, as he wealds a Japanese sword. The true magnitude of this great disaster becomes crystal clear from the superb images. * It can be understood, that the Shogunate wanted to suppress this sort of catastrophic disaster from the common people. This work also pointed out, that there was absolutely no Shogunate government policy to provide any kind of financial assistance to villages. This lack of recognition by the government was just one more issue which caused unrest, rebellion and insurrection among the masses. * Works of this subject nature with such vivid graphics are truly RARE ! The complete work, a banned book was some how illegally published & distributed in very small and limited numbers. Its a wonder that it survived to inform us of the true disasters of those times. The wrok was co-compiled by Kangaki Robun [1829-1868]. * REFERENCES: K. Toda: THE RYERSON COLLECTION OF JAPANESE & CHINESE BOOKS, p.295. * H. Kerlen: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS & MAPS,p.5, item #12 for more bibliographic details. * For biographical information on the artists, see L. Roberts DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS, pp. 95, 204. Images displayed may not be the actual copy in stock for sale at any given time; if you want to see the exact image of the book or edition in stock, please request this by email and an image will be returned to you by attachment. !! WARNING: The above * * * * SHIPPING: WE SHIP WORLD WIDE * * * * * The shipping costs displayed for our books on ZVAB are ONLY AN ESTIMATE !!! * ACTUAL costs are based book weight, destination and value. * We will inform you of shipping costs and options once you select the book. **FOREIGN: We usually ship by registered/insured airmail to customers abroad. **DOMESTIC: We ship to USA customers by UPS/FEDEX or U.S. MAIL, appropriate insurance/registry and signature required will appply. ***** Please inquire if you have any questions regarding shipping or payments .

Edo 1857, Hakuaido. Stitched stiff striped wrs., 3 vol. set, very good, covers bit dusty, soiled, contents clean, solid, 9+13+15 double page Japanese text leaves, 34 color print il- lustrations, 10 double page. FIRST AND ONLY BANNED EDITION

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Shell, Marc: Polio and Its Aftermath: The Paralysis of Culture, Harvard University Press Cambridge [MA] 2005
24x15cm, 324 pp "It was not long ago that scientists proclaimed victory over polio, the dread disease of the 1950s. More recently polio resurfaced, not conquered at all, spreading across the countries of Africa. As we once again face the specter of this discase, along with other killers like AIDS and SARS, this powerful book reminds us of the personal cost, the cultural implications, and the historical significance of one of modern humanity's deadliest biological enemies. In Polio and Its Aftermath Marc Shell, himself a victim of polio, offers an inspired analysis of the disease. Part memoir, part cultural criticism and history, part meditation on the meaning of disease, Shell's work combines the understanding of a medical researcher with the sensitivity of a literary critic. He deftly draws a detailed yet broad picture of the lived experience of a crippling disease as it makes it way into every facet of human existence. Polio and Its Aftermath conveys the widespread panic that struck as the disease swept the world in the mid-fifties. It captures an atmosphere in which polio vied with the Cold War as the greatest cause of unrest in North America - and in which a strange and often debilitating uncertainty was one of the disease's salient but least treatable symptoms. Polio particularly afflicted the young, and Shell explores what this meant to families and communities. And he reveals why, in spite of the worldwide relief that greeted Jonas Salk's vaccine as a miracle of modern science, we have much more to fear from polio now than we know" - Publisher's description.

orig.boards Minor rubbing. An ink mark to top page-edge. VG.

[SW: Poliomyelitis American Social Disease History United States Biography]

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