The Shadow of Prohibited Books - Edo Publication Control and the Common People's Appetite for Knowledge (Late 18th Century)

The Shadow of Prohibited Books - Edo Publication Control and the Common People's Appetite for Knowledge (Late 18th Century)

In the late 18th century, the print culture took root in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo), and yellow-jacketed paper and ukiyo-zoshi (ukiyo-zoshi books) became widely available to the public. However, this freedom soon clashed with the strict control of the shogunate. In particular, books that were printed in multiples of 300 copies, but were actually limited to 300 copies, were subject to thorough recall and even the destruction of the publishers and woodblocks. The few copies that remained became so rare that they were sometimes mistakenly identified as spring editions and were the subject of controversy in later generations.

Behind this was the fact that the shogunate placed the highest priority on maintaining social order. At the time, the literacy rate among the general public was rising due to the spread of terakoya and the flourishing of book rental shops, and the thirst for knowledge and entertainment was stronger than ever. For the shogunate, however, this was a dangerous development that could lead to political criticism and the disruption of public morals. Therefore, publications became a constant battleground between the power and the people, and a back-and-forth struggle between banned publications and back-published works continued.

Thus, banned books were not merely a symbol of oppression, but rather vividly illuminated people's desire for knowledge. The control of publishing in Edo (present-day Tokyo) is a true testament to the spirit of the times, when the fear of power and the curiosity of the common people intersected.