JIMBOU-cho

The other day, I was shown "JUNJO-ZURI (the process of woodblock printing)" at the Oya bookshop in Jimbou-cho. The book is a pamphlet explaining the Ukiyo-e process, and is sometimes produced for amateurs. When I asked the shopmaster if he could show me embossed Ukiyo-e, he showed me "JUNJO-ZURI" and explained the process. The craftsmanship of the embossing process and the way it is perfectly aligned with the outlines of the painting. I got it because I thought the combination of a black kimono and a red obi, or a white kimono and a black obi, was also chic. I failed to ask the title of the work, but it was made by Suzuki Harunobu in the late Edo period.

Ukiyo-e embossing is rare and can only be done on slightly thicker, better quality paper. The rough, uneven surface of the paper can be easily touched. This process is often seen as an expression of weaving on white kimono. The fact that white pigment is not applied is very chic.

Jimbou-cho is famous for its used books, and in addition to Oya bookshop, there are many long-established Ukiyo-e shops such as Hara Shobo and Toshusai. If you want to check the details, I recommend this site. ⇒ BOOKTOWNじんぼう (jimbou.info)

There are gorgeous and eye-catching Ukiyo-e works such as world maps of the Edo period and Ukiyo-e of the coming of the black ships, as well as recently re-spliced reprinted editions starting from 1,000 yen, and piles of thread-closed Edo period soshis. If there is something I want, I ask the clerk to guess where it might be, and then flip through the Ukiyo-e myself to find it. When I first saw this pile of Ukiyo-e, I was simply surprised to know that I could buy old Ukiyo-e. I was simply amazed.

I had thought that Jimbou-cho would have relatively older patrons, but I often see people who look like overseas tourists, and it is a relief to occasionally see a student couple enthusiastically shopping while giving each other their recommendations. By the way, most used bookstores in Jimbou-cho are closed on Sundays, and they close early on business days, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. However, I have the impression that they are a bit flexible, saying, "We are short on staff today, so we will close at 4:00 p.m." or "We have customers today, so we will stay open until 7:00 p.m.".