Hasegawa, T. (Takejiro):
Rhymes & Life Scenes of Japan. Calendar for 1903, T. Hasegawa Publisher & Art Printer, Tokyo (20 Honzaimoko-cho), Meiji 35 (1902), calendar published in book form, spine covered, silk stab ties, 10.2 x 15.1 cm, 14 folded crepe paper pages (including the covers), 28 pages total. Each month illustrated and discussed on two facing pages. There is a day by day calendar for each month. Inside the back cover is the Japanese language colophon.

Basic information and pictures courtesy of Franziska Mueller.

The subjects of the woodblocks are:

• Jan. - New Year's Day
• Feb. - The Feast of Inari
• Mar. - The Feast of Dolls
• Apr. - Cherry-Blossoms at Mukojima
• May - The Feast of Boys
• June - Iris at Horikiri
• July - The Feast of Lanterns
• Aug. - Summer in Kyoto
• Sep. - The Feast of Chrysanthemum
• Oct. - The Feast of "Ebisu"
• Nov. - Autumn at Momiji-Yama
• Dec. - Preparing for New Year

For more information on T. Hasegawa, click here.

Select Pages

 
There are two books of this type that are very similar.

Rhymes & Life Scenes of Japan. Calendar for 1903., 1902, here.
and
Life Scenes of Japan, 1931, here.

The first book (1903 Calendar) contains day by day calendars with verses for each month. Major events are described as "Feasts" in this book. The later book does not have the day by day calendars and is text, not verses. In this later book, the major events are called "Festivals." The woodblock images in the books are basically the same.

Below is a side by side comparison of selected pages from the two books.

1903 Calendar


1931 Non-Calendar

1903 Calendar 


1931 Non-Calendar

1903 Calendar


1931 Non-Calendar

1903 Calendar


1931 Non-Calendar

1903 Calendar


1931 Non-Calendar

1903 Calendar


1931 Non-Calendar