summersun7 Posted April 19, 2015 at 08:04 PM Report Share Posted April 19, 2015 at 08:04 PM Hello all! I am so happy to have found this forum. Thank you to all who contribute their knowledege and expertise. I am looking to translate these old books. Can anyone tell me what they are and possible the artist and date? I have a large collection of these books and a few others. I have no i dead what they are about. Any help would be kind thank you all. Please click on each image to enlarge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted April 20, 2015 at 01:31 PM Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 01:31 PM The photos seem unorganised and confusing. The books are in Japanese, not Chinese. (Except the third and fourth photos from the left on the first row, which look like Chinese.) The books with the reddish/orange covers are "日本外史" (Unofficial History of Japan). Different volumes (4, 5, 11) are shown in the pictures. One of the photos (middle in the second row) shows the names of composers (I think) 寶生太夫 and 寶生九郎 and that book could be about musical scores. It was first printed in 1799 (寬政十一年） and the edition in the photo was printed in the Meiji era - 1906 (明治三十九年）. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
889 Posted April 20, 2015 at 01:54 PM Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 01:54 PM It is confusing just what's there. In any event, the books marked 日本外史 are a set of a famous Japanese classic history known as the Nihon Gaishi; it's been published in many editions.The latest date on your first picture seems to be Taishō 14 (1925). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted April 20, 2015 at 02:06 PM Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 02:06 PM I think the thing dated Taisho year 14 is a new year greeting card, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
889 Posted April 20, 2015 at 02:40 PM Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 02:40 PM Yep, that's the date on the card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwq Posted April 20, 2015 at 03:16 PM Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 03:16 PM 日本外史 is written in 漢文, i.e. using classical Chinese grammar. You can find the text on Wikisource. Not sure how commonly found they are, but your set seems to be in pretty good condition. You could ask if a university library near you is interested in them. http://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%87%8D%E8%A8%82%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%A4%96%E5%8F%B2 寶生太夫 and 寶生九郎 seems to be stage names of iemotos from 寶生流 Houshou school of Japanese Nogaku. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwq Posted April 20, 2015 at 03:22 PM Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 03:22 PM Oh, and the name 日本外史's author is 頼久太郎, you can see it on the cover. He is also known as 頼山陽. http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%A4%96%E5%8F%B2 http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B3%B4%E5%B1%B1%E9%99%BD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summersun7 Posted April 20, 2015 at 09:58 PM Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 09:58 PM You all are brilliant! Thank you all for your wisdom and imput. I do not speak the tounges of Chinese or Japanese. So I know I would find the help I needed here. Thank you all so much for helping me. I am sorry about the confusion I added the images I took at random. I did not know what order to place them in. I have 40 in all. It is always nice to know what you have just sitting around the attic. Thank you all so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summersun7 Posted April 20, 2015 at 10:21 PM Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 10:21 PM Anything here like my books? http://www.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kotenseki/search.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summersun7 Posted April 20, 2015 at 10:35 PM Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 at 10:35 PM I am sorry to keep bothering you all. But are these books also Japanese? They are different from the orange books. They are handwritten and sealed. The others are woodblock printed and sealed, I think. If they are not in order I am sorry because I do not know what order they should be in yet. I am learning as you teach me. Thank you all so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwq Posted April 21, 2015 at 07:07 AM Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 at 07:07 AM If you paste the title 日本外史 into waseda's search box, you can see they have two complete and one incomplete sets of Nihon Gaishi, of various vintage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwq Posted April 21, 2015 at 07:25 AM Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 at 07:25 AM From your last photo, you book is similar to this one. http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/923160 It is a Houshou school Noh script? lyrics? book for the programme 氷室 (Himuro or Hyousitsu, not sure which way it is pronounced). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summersun7 Posted April 21, 2015 at 02:46 PM Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 at 02:46 PM Thank you dwq,you are so smart. I am proud of you!!! You have helped me in big way. You all are so wonderful for what you do here. Thank you so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and select your username and password later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.