A remarkable Meiji-era woodblock-printed illustrated novel titled 今常盤布施譚 (Konjōban Fuse Monogatari) — “The Tale of Charity at Tokiwa.”
Written by Shōrin Hakuin (松林伯圓) and illustrated by the master artist Umeidō Kunimasa (梅堂国政), this literary work belongs to the genre of moral and dramatic storytelling (yomihon).
It was published in Meiji 20 (1887) by Matsunobudo, Tokyo, and features beautifully preserved multi-color woodblock frontispieces and detailed monochrome interior illustrations.
This edition includes all three parts (初編・中編・終編) bound together, offering the complete serialized story in one volume.
Through expressive figures and dramatic scenes, the book explores themes of compassion, social duty, and human conflict — central virtues of Meiji-era morality tales.
Title: 今常盤 布施譚 (Konjōban Fuse Monogatari)
Translation: “The Tale of Charity at Tokiwa”
Author: 松林伯圓 (Shōrin Hakuin)
Illustrator: 梅堂国政 (Umeidō Kunimasa)
Publisher: 松延堂 (Matsunobudo), Tokyo
Date: 明治20年 (1887)
Volumes: Complete – 3 volumes bound as one
Technique: Woodblock printing with hand-coloring
Material: Washi paper
Binding: Fukurotoji (pouch binding)
Language: Classical Japanese
This work represents the late Meiji adaptation of Edo-period moral tales, where samurai virtues and Buddhist compassion blend with new Western-style realism.
Artist Umeidō Kunimasa, a student in the lineage of Utagawa Kunisada, captures the emotional and theatrical atmosphere of the story — from domestic drama to scenes of modernity such as Meiji-era police and gas lamps, symbolizing Japan’s cultural transformation.
Such books were popular entertainment in the 1880s, bridging ukiyo-e illustration and modern literature — now prized by collectors for their historical and artistic value.
