2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
The Transformation of the Early Modern Nagoya Book Market (1794-1889)
| Project/Area Number |
21K00304
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| Research Institution | Nagoya University |
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Principal Investigator |
McGee Dylan 名古屋大学, 人文学研究科, 准教授 (30622568)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | Nagoya / early modern / publishing |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
During the first year of this project, I have conducted background research into early modern Nagoya booksellers and (when applicable) their counterparts in Kyoto. My archival work has included compiling a working spreadsheet of bibliographic data for all extant books published in Nagoya during the period under study, with some comparative data for Kyoto editions. I have taken measurements of books, recorded details about textual formatting and calligraphy styles, and graded paper stock. My plan is to eventually convert this spreadsheet into a searchable database. In addition to this data collection, I have begun writing several articles about individual writers and publishers who were active in Nagoya during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I have presented early findings from work on lending library manuscripts at the 2021 European Association of Japanese Studies (EAJS) conference, and published an article on the publishing house of Fugetsudo Manosuke.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The only real challenge that prevented me from progressing further with the project has been the difficulty of traveling to archival libraries due to COVID-19 restrictions. I have conducted work at the Hoso Bunko Library and Iwase Bunko Library here in Aichi Prefecture, but so far, I have not been able to enter the National Diet Library through the lottery system or visit any of the university libraries listed in my research plan. Aside from these setbacks, I have been able to progress very well with collecting the bibliographic data on early modern books published in Nagoya, which should help me move expeditiously through the second and third years of the project.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
At present, I have one conference paper, one invited lecture, and two articles planned for the current year related to this project. If and when entry restrictions are eased at the archival libraries listed in my research plan, I plan to backload archival work to fall 2022 and early winter 2023.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Next fiscal year, I will need to conduct more on-site archival research than was possible in the first year of the project. I plan two trips to National Diet Library, one to Tokyo Municipal Library, and one to Kyoto University Library. Since funding for postponed trips in FY2021 needed to reallocated for purchases of books and other materials related to the project, this creates flexibility in the budget for FY2023.
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