![](immagini/hanko2.jpg)
Author: Kajita Hanko (梶田半古).
Suject: Murai Gensai (村井弦斎).
Title: Takasago (高砂).
Series: Sunrise island (hi no dejima, 日の出島).
Volume: 3.
Genre: Kachō-ga (花鳥画), kuchi-e (口絵.)
Size: Aiban (間判).
Publisher: Shunyōdō (春陽堂).
Period: 1897.
Trimmed: no
Backed: no
Code: KHK01002
Condition: color is vibrant and remains clear in each part. There are no remarkable wrinkles or heavy stains, except for a few light halos on
the left side. Above the man's head, a small white halo with two dark dots can be noticed. As a kuchie, this print was part of a book where many
others were bound together, so this may be the spot where the bookbinding holes were fixed after the print was removed.
Murai Gensai (村井弦斎), born in 1864 and passed away in 1927, was a prominent Japanese writer. Among his notable works is "Kibun Daizen,"
illustrated by George Varian and featured in the 1904 edition of St. Nicholas magazine. Now in the public domain, this work predates January 1, 1929.
Gensai made significant contributions to Japanese culture, particularly with his focus on dietary education, as evidenced by his popular work The
Gourmet's Delight (Shokudōraku, 食楽堂), especially among young Japanese women in the early twentieth century.
In his youth, Gensai planned to join the Russian studies department at the Tokyo Foreign Language Institute but relocated to the United States due to illness.
Upon returning to Japan, he embarked on a career as a novelist for various newspapers.
The print shown was used as a frontispiece for the "hi no dejma" series, underscoring his versatility as an author spanning different media forms. His international
experiences and literary work significantly contributed to the cultural and literary landscape of Japan during his era.