Ozaki Kōyō’s 尾崎紅葉 (1868-1903) blockbuster novel Konjiki yasha 金色夜叉 (The Gold Demon), a story of love, greed and destruction, and a response to the materialization of society during the Meiji era, was first published in the Yomiuri shimbun, the best selling daily Tokyo newspaper, from January 1897 until March 1903 in thirty-one irregular installments.[1] Ozaki's death from lung cancer on October 30, 1903 left the novel unfinished.
The novel, in its unfinished form, was published in book form (tankōbon) by the publisher Shun'yōdō 春陽堂 in five volumes from 1898 to 1903, with volumes being released shortly after their serialization.
While originally immensely popular with seemingly every literate person having read it, as a novel, its flowery, classical style has not held up well over time, although its movie and theater adaptations remain popular.[2]
This collection's book, shown below, is the 43rd printing of the 1915 pocket edition (shukusatsu ban 縮刷版), published by Shun'yōdō 春陽堂, of The Gold Demon.[3] It is notable for its inclusion of eight prints, seven of them woodblock illustrations, of the main characters by well-known artists of the time, as shown below.
IHL Cat. #2725
[1] The Gold Demon was initially serialized in Yomiuri Shimbun as follows: zenpen (pt. 1) 1 January-23 February 1897; kõhen (pt. 2) 5 September-6 November 1897; zokuhen (pt. 3) 14 January-1 April 1898; zokuzokuhen (pt. 4) 1 January-8 May 1899; continuation of zokuzokuhen 4 December 1900-8 April 1901; zokuzoku-zokuhen (pt. 5) 1 April-11 May 1902; the shin-zokuhen (pt. 6) appeared in Shinshösetsu, January-March 1903. [source: "Aesthetic Life Beauty and Art in Modern Japan" by Miya Elise Mizuta Lippit, Brill, 2020, p. 255, f.n. 22.]
[2] The novel spawned a number of very popular movies (including at least seventeen silent film versions, a 1937 production directed by Hiroshi Shimizu, and a 1954 production, directed by Kōji Shima) and numerous plays (including at least three shimpa, new theater, adaptations in 1898, 1904 and 1905). [sources: "The Star System in Japanese Silent Film" by Mark Anderson, an abstract appearing on the Yale University Kinema Club website https://kinemaclub.org/events/kinema-club-iii] [accessed 6-15-24] and "History of Japanese Theater," edited by Jonah Salz, Cambridge University Press, 2016, p. 205.
[3] The original publication date for the pocket edition of 1915 (Taishō 4) is taken from the colophon of this collection's book shown below. Other sources, including the National Diet Library, give 1912 as the original date of publication for the pocket edition.
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Ozaki Kōyō, born in Tokyo, the only son of a netsuke artist, became a novelist at an early age, publishing his first novel Love Confessions of Two Nuns (Ninin bikuni irozange) in 1889. His subsequent novels were all serialized by the newspaper Yomiuri shinbun which Ozaki was the literary editor for. When he died in 1903, his most successful novel The Gold Demon was not yet complete, although already in serialization.
This work was re-written and translated into English by A. and M. Lloyd in 1905 and can be found online at:
https://ia801006.us.archive.org/18/items/golddemon00ozakiala/golddemon00ozakiala.pdf [accessed 6-15-24]
The complete text of the fifth printing of the Shun'yōdō pocket edition can be found on the website of the Internet Archive at:
urn:oclc:record:1047518109 [accessed 6-15-24]
While "Kōyō was known for providing selff-penned draft images with meticulous notes for his illustrators . . . closely supervising every element of his work’s visual expression," this pocket edition, being published twelve years after his death, suffers from the author's lack of oversite.[1] While each depiction of a character in the novel may be praised, overall the prints appear to be a hodgepodge of styles, failing to provide any visual cohesion or added value to the story. As opposed to previous illustrations for the story, these images are largely devoid of context.
[1] "Eyes of the Heart: Illustration and the Visual Imagination in Modern Japanese Literature," Bassoe, Pedro Thiago Ramos, UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2018, p. 1; Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0777d5sv
page 81 - Tomiyama Tadatsugu (verso of woodblock print)
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page 80 - Tomiyama Tadatsugu, woodblock print by Yamanaka Kodō (1869-1945)
(富山唯艦：山中古洞)
IHL Cat. #2725.01
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The wealthy and arrogant Tomiyama Tadatsugu who will flaunt his wealth to the beautiful Shigisawa Miya and her parents who break off her engagement to the poor student Hazama Kan'ichi, a ward of her family.
page 137 - Akagashi Mitsuo (verso of print)
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page 136 - Akagashi Mitsue, lithograph by Kaburaki Kiyokata (1878-1972)
(赤樫滿枝：鏑木清方)
IHL Cat. #2725.02
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Trapped by a usurer who is owed money by her father, Mitsue gradually becomes infected with his avarice and the usurer's trade becomes a pleasure to her. She offers her love and help to Kan'ichi who rejects her, setting up a violent confrontation.
page 153 - Hazama Kan'ichi (verso of woodlock print)
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page 152 - Hazama Kan'ichi, woodblock print by Nakazawa Hiromitsu (1874-1964)
(開貫一：中澤弘光)
IHL Cat. #2725.03
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Kan'ichi, a poor student rejected by the beautiful Miya in favor of the wealthy Tadamatsu, becomes a usurer in order to take his revenge on her and the world.
page 257 - Kamata Tetsuya (verso of woodblock print)
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page 256 - Kamata Tetsuya, woodblock print by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)
蒲田鐵彌：名取春仙
IHL Cat. #2725.04
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Kan'ichi's friend who confronts him about the usurious loan he means to collect from a mutual friend.
page 441 - Araō Jōsuke (verso of woodblock print)
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page 440 - Araō Jōsuke, woodblock print by Hirezaki Eihō (1880-1968)
鰭崎英朋：荒尾譲介
IHL Cat. #2725.05
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The thickly bearded, upright and successful friend of the lead character Kan’ichi.
page 673 - Sayama Motosuke, (verso of woodblock print)
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page 672 - Sayama Motosuke, woodblock print by Igawa Sengai (1876-1961)
狭山元輸：井川洗厓
IHL Cat. #2725.06
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The true love of the geisha Aiko of the Kashiwaya geisha house, who makes a suicide pact with her. Pictured are the rings they exchanged the night of their planned suicide, which was interrupted by the novel's main character, Kan’ichi.
page 713 - Shigisawa Miya, (verso of woodblock print)
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page 712 - Shigisawa Miya, woodblock print by Ikeda Shōen (1886-1917)
鳴澤宮：池田焦園
IHL Cat. #2725.07
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The story's heroine engaged to Kan'ichi who rejects him for the wealthy Tomiyama Tadatsugu. Later, her marriage in ruins, she will try to atone and win Kan'ichi back.
page 729 - The Geisha Aiko, (verso of woodblock print)
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page 728 - The Geisha Aiko, woodblock print by Hachiguchi Goyō (1880-1921)
藝妓愛子：橋口五葉
IHL Cat. #2725.08
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The favorite geisha and mistress of the wealthy Tomiyama Tadatsugu who he uses to instill jealousy in his wife Miya. However, Aiko is in love with Sayama Motosuke with whom she makes a suicide pact that will be interrupted by Kan'ichi.
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Frontispiece
Inside cover
PREFACE
Preface, "Letter to Kōyō Sanjin" by Kōyō's friend the Sinologist, playwright, author, artist and government official Gakkai Koji 學海居士 [Gakkai Yoda 學海依田] (1833-1909)
與紅葉山人書 [与紅葉山人書]
學海居士
紅葉山人足下。僕幼嗜読稗史小説。当時行於世者。京伝三馬一九。及曲亭柳亭春水数輩。雖有文辞之巧麗。搆思之妙絶。多是舐古人之糟粕。拾兎園之残簡。聊以加己意焉耳。独曲亭柳亭二子較之余子。学問該博。熟慣典故。所謂換骨奪胎。頗有可観者。如八犬弓張侠客伝。及田舎源氏諸国物語類是也。然在当時。読此等書者。不過閭巷少年。畧識文字。間有渉猟史伝者。識見浅薄。不足以判其巧拙良否焉。而文学之士斥為鄙猥。為害風紊俗。禁子弟不得縦読。其風習可以見矣。」年二十一二。稍読水滸西遊金瓶三国紅楼諸書。兼及我源語竹取宇津保俊蔭等書。乃知稗史小説。亦文学之一途。不必止游戯也。而所最喜。在水滸金瓶紅楼。及源語。能尽人情之隠微。世態之曲折。用筆周到。渾思巧緻。而源氏之能描性情。文雅而思深。金瓶之能写人品。筆密而心細。蓋千古無比也。近時小説大行。少好文辞者。莫不争先攘臂其間。然率不過陋巷之談。鄙夫之事。至大手筆如金瓶源氏等者。寥乎無聞何也。僕及読足下所著諸書。所謂細心邃思者。知不使古人専美於上矣。多情多恨金色夜叉類。殆与金瓶源語相似。僕反覆熟読不能置也。惜範囲狭。而事跡微。地位卑而思想偏。未足以展布足下之大才矣。盍借一大幻境。以運思馳筆。必有大可観者。僕老矣。若得足下之一大著述。快読之。是一生之願也。足下以何如。
Source: transcription taken from 成蹊大学文学部紀要 第50号（2014）129尾崎紅葉文学における中国的要素試論──小説『巴波川』の解読を中心に ── 張秀強 p. 131-132. Bulletin of the Faculty of Letters, the Seikei University, Volume 50, "A Study of Ozaki Koyo’s Uzumagawa from the Viewpoint of the Chinese Literature by ZHANG, Xiuqiang http://hdl.handle.net/10928/649.
Dear Kōyō Sanjin,
Gakkai Koji
Since my youth, I have had a fondness for reading minor historical novels. Among those popular at the time were works by Santō Kyōden [1761-1816], Shikitei Sanba [1776-1822], Jippensha Ikku [1765-1831] as well as several others like Kyokutei Bakin [1767-1848], Ryūtei Tanehiko [1783-1842] and Tamenaga Shunsui [1790-1844].
Although their writings were elegant and their compositions exceptional, most were merely rehashing the leftovers of the ancients, picking up the scraps of Rakuten’s [772-846] old manuscripts, and adding their own ideas to them. However, Kyokutei and Ryūtei stood out among their peers; their extensive knowledge and familiarity with classical references allowed them to rejuvenate old tales in a commendable manner. Their works, such as Hakkenden ("The Eight Dog Chronicles") and yumiharizuki ("Bow-shaped Crescent Moon") along with Nise Murasaki inaka Genji ("A Fake Murasaki and a Rural Genji") are examples of this.
In those days, readers of such books were mainly young men from the common neighborhoods, with little more than a superficial grasp of letters. Even those who ventured into historical texts had shallow insights and could not properly judge the quality of the works. Moreover, literary scholars often dismissed these stories as vulgar, corrupting morals, and forbade their disciples from reading them, as was the custom.
At the age of twenty-one or twenty-two, I began reading [the Chinese classics] "Water Margin," "Journey to the West," "Jin Ping Mei," "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and "Dream of the Red Chamber," as well as our own classics like "The Tale of Genji," Taketori Monogatari ("The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter"), Utsuho Monogatari (The Tale of the Hollow Tree) and Toshikage (the first part of Utsuho monogatari.) This made me realize that minor historical novels also form a branch of literature, not merely entertainment. My favorites were "Water Margin," "Jin Ping Mei," "Dream of the Red Chamber," and "The Tale of Genji," which fully capture the subtleties of human emotions and the complexities of society, written with meticulous and refined skill. "The Tale of Genji" excels in portraying character traits with elegance and profound thought, while "Jin Ping Mei" depicts human qualities with dense, delicate prose, standing unparalleled through the ages.
In recent times, as novels have gained popularity, those with a slight preference for literary style have eagerly jumped into the fray. Yet, most of them produce little more than alleyway gossip or trivial matters of vulgar men. It is rare to hear of works on par with "Jin Ping Mei" or "The Tale of Genji." Why is this?
Upon reading your numerous works, I recognized your meticulous and deep thought, showing that you do not let the ancients have all the glory. Works like "The Gold Demon," rich with emotion and sorrow, bear resemblance to "Jin Ping Mei" and "The Tale of Genji." I read them repeatedly, unable to put them down. However, I feel that your scope is narrow, your narratives slight, your settings humble, and your perspectives biased, not fully showcasing your great talent.
Why not take on a grander illusionary world to let your ideas and writing flourish? Surely, there would be much to admire. I am old now, and it is my lifelong wish to read one grand work by you, a joy to savor. What do you think?
Sincerely
Source: ChatGPT translation generated 6-10-24 with my annotations.
表紙文字は伊臣柴業氏秘蔵にかゝろ紅葉氏自筆原稿を復しなるもの。 本文二五七部の一部なり。
[The text on the cover (in gold metallic ink) is a reproduction of Mr. Kōyō's handwritten manuscript, which is privately owned by Mr. Itōmi Shigeo (sp?). . . ]
Colophon
大正四年九月十二日印刷
[Printed on September 12, 1915]
大正四年九月十五日發行
[Published on September 15, 1915]
大正九年五月十五日四十五版印刷
[45th edition, printed on May 15, 1921]
縮刷 金色夜叉 [Konjiki yasha, printing in a compact format]
實價金貳圓參拾錢 [actual price, two yen and thirty sen]
著作者 尾崎德太郎 [author: Ozaki Tokutarō (pen name of Ozaki Kōyō)]
著作權者 發行者 和田利彦 [copyright holder and publisher: Wada Toshihiko]
印刷者 牛坂三郎 [printer: Ushizaka Saburō (reading of name uncertain)]
印刷所 邦文社 [printing house: Hōbunsha]
發行所 東京市日本橋 振替一六一七 春陽堂 [Publisher: Shun'yōdō, Tokyo's Nihonbashi district]
電話交局五十一番 [Telephone...]
Credits
刷縮 金色夜叉終
[Reduced size printing in compact format: Konjiki yasha, the end]
裝幀 齋藤松洲 氏
[Book design - Saitō Shōshū (1860-1944)]
插畫 開貫一 中澤弘光
[illustration - Hazama Kan'ichi by Nakazawa Hiromitsu]
同 鳴澤宮 池田焦園
[Illustration - Shigisawa Miya by Ikeda Shōen]
同 荒尾護介 鰭崎英朋
[Illustration - Araō Jōsuke by Hirezaki Eihō]
同 赤樫滿枝 鏑木清方
[Illustration - Akagashi Mitsue by Kiyokata Kaburagi]
同 富山唯艦 山中古洞
[Illustration - Tomiyama Tadatsugu by Yamanaka Kodō]
同 狭山元輸 井川洗厓
[Illustration - Sayama Motosuke by Igawa Sengai]
同 藝妓愛子 橋口五葉
[Illustration - The Geisha Aiko by Hachiguchi Goyō]
同 蒲田鐵彌 名取春仙
[Illustration - Kamata Tetsuya by Natori Shunsen]
校正者 本多嘯月
[Proof reader: Honda Shōgetsu]
木版彫刻者 大倉半兵衛
[Woodblock Carver: Ōkura Hanbei]
木版印刷者 松村菊次郎
[Woodblock Printer: Matsumura Kikujirō]
closing page
本篇の末尾に於て慘ましい悲運に遭遇した荒尾譲介は果たして死するであらう?、貴一とお宮が前途は果たして新生涯を開き得たであらうか。情火は凝つて幻夢となり、潜々たる紅涙は變じて永遠の謎語となる。作者は溢るゝが如き感興を以って今、日に夜をついで終篇の稿を急いでるる。
長田幹彦著
金色夜叉終篇
近刊發行
At the end of this work, did Araō Jōsuke, who encountered such a tragic fate, indeed die? Did Kan'ichi and Miya manage to open up a new life together? The flames of passion become illusions, and the quietly falling red tears transform into an eternal enigma. The author, filled with overflowing inspiration, is now hurrying day and night to complete the final chapter.
Written by Nagata Mikihiko 長田幹彦 (1887～1964)
"The Gold Demon: Final Chapter"*
To be published soon.
*金色夜叉. 終篇 Konjiki yasha shūhen (The Gold Demon: Final Chapter) would be published in two volumes by Shun'yōdō in 1920
Source: ChatGPT translation generated 6-10-24.
