[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#bfc0d1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Overview” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”|600|||||||” title_font_size=”45px” min_height=”39px” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_heading title=”A Brief History of Crepe-paper Books” _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h5″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_image=”off” background_size=”custom” background_image_width=”106%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”59px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”What are Crepe-paper Books?” _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h4″ title_font=”|600|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-45px|auto||auto||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.8em” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Crepe-paper books<\/strong>, or <\/span>chirimen-bon<\/i><\/strong> (\u3061\u308a\u3081\u3093\u672c), are a unique style of Japanese woodblock-printed publication. They were first devised and printed by innovative Tokyo publisher Hasegawa Takejir\u014d<\/strong> in the Meiji period<\/strong> (circa 1888).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Unlike plain-paper Japanese woodblock prints, crepe-paper books have a unique appearance<\/strong> and tactility<\/strong>. The wavy, crinkled surface of the paper feels almost soft or fabric-like in the hand. This \u201ccreped\u201d appearance was a key part of the books’ marketability and the result of a labor-intensive process<\/a><\/strong>. Plain-paper prints had long served a domestic Japanese audience, although their popularity in the Meiji period waned in light of new technologies like photography and lithography. In light of increasing interest in \u201ctraditional\u201d Japan abroad (termed Japonisme<\/em>), Hasegawa sought to export these works from the very beginning. Although our collection here at St. Olaf College focuses on Hasegawa\u2019s fairy tale publications, he also branched out into other kinds of literature, such as poetry and descriptions of Japanese life and culture. He felt that these topics combined with the innovative nature of crepe would surely appeal to Western women and their children. The reach of crepe-paper books was broad, however, and crepe-paper books even entered the collection of artist Vincent Van Gogh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One fascinating aspect of crepe-paper book production is the collaborative process<\/strong> through which they were made and translated. Hasegawa often worked with English-speaking authors\u2013 such as David Thompson, Basil Hall Chamberlain, Kate James, and Lafcadio Hearn\u2013to write the text of his publications. The illustrations were designed by Japanese woodblock print artists\u2013such as Kobayashi Eitaku, Suzuki Kason, Mishima Sh\u014ds\u014d, and Arai Yoshimune\u2013often in consultation with the text. From there, the designs would have to be rendered into a woodblock print carving and printed by skilled woodblock printers. The printing of the text was often outsourced to local Tokyo letterpress printers with expertise in foreign languages like English, French, or German. Finally, the books would be bound and published before being shipped to various dealers in Japan and worldwide. Understanding crepe-paper books is often a practice in unpacking diverse communication networks<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n Hasegawa focused on his crepe publications from 1888 until 1908, when he expanded his business to other publications such as calendars. Nevertheless, Hasegawa (and later his son, Nishinomiya Yosaku), continued to publish reprints of these books into the post-war period. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/crepepaperbooks\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1759\/2024\/07\/20_Waterfall_0Front_Cropped.jpg” title_text=”20_Waterfall_0Front_Cropped” _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/crepepaperbooks\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1759\/2024\/07\/11_Hare_0Front_Cropped.jpg” title_text=”11_Hare_0Front_Cropped” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n