An exceptional Meiji 8 (1875) woodblock-printed historical book from the monumental series Meiji Taiheiki (明治太平記), written by Murai Gensai (村井弦齋) and illustrated by Sensai Eitaku (鮮齋永濯) — a pair whose collaboration helped define early Meiji visual and literary culture.
Published by Enjudō (延壽堂) in Tokyo, this Volume 3, Part 1 (三編 上) narrates the Imperial Army’s march through northern Japan during the Boshin War (戊辰戦争), chronicling the fall of Aizu, Echigo (Niigata), and surrounding regions. These events mark the definitive collapse of the Tokugawa order and the rise of a modern Imperial nation.
The opening double-page color illustration celebrates imperial victory processions, capturing the spirit of national unity and renewal with lively figures, banners, and drums — a remarkable fusion of ukiyo-e composition and Meiji reportage art.
The text is printed on handmade washi paper in vertical woodblock format, and the volume retains its original green embossed cover and stab binding (fukurotoji). The typography is crisp and clear, characteristic of Enjudō’s superior early Meiji editions.
Issued under official license (“官許”), this book not only served as a record of history but also as state-sanctioned literature — shaping public understanding of loyalty, valor, and modernization during Japan’s most transformative era.
A rare and beautiful artifact for collectors of Meiji Restoration history, samurai culture, and Japanese woodblock-printed books.
