A privately published Edo period topography and
guide to famous places. Official topographies were compiled before these private
publications but they were never printed. An early example of meishoki
was the 1658 publication KYOUWARABE 京童 by the literatus Nakagawa Kiun 中川喜雲
(1636-1705). Scholars, priests and cultured men had a hand in producing many of
these books, and their preferences and literary predilections endow the books
with the character of a literary travelogue. Meishoki flourished during the Kanbun
寛文 (1661-73) and Enpou 延宝 (1673-81) eras. They were often illustrated, especially
early examples. |