2022 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 / Edo / booksellers / lending libraries / advertisements |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
During the second year of this project, I continued archival work on jointly published books by Nagoya and Edo booksellers, working in archives in Nagoya (Tsurumai and Hosa Bunko), and after COVID-19 restrictions lifted, at the National Diet Library. Through this work, I added data about the measurements of books, textual formatting and calligraphy styles, and paper stock. In this second phase of the project, I also shifted attention to paratextual materials like promotional inserts. Since adverts are written in a language directed at the local target audience, differences in the number of kanji, variety of hentaigana, etc. can point to possible differences in the level of literacy between Nagoya and Edo readers.
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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
Thanks to the lifting of restrictions at the National Diet Library, I have been able to conduct archival work on an important batch of books that were jointly published by Edo and Nagoya booksellers. However, the continued restrictions on visits by outsider researchers at universities like Kyoto University (where I had been hoping to do work in the first year of the project), has forced me to shift focus to other issues in the comparative bibliographic study--in this case, to paratextual materials. Overall, however, this has turned out to be a viable area of research that promises to shed new light on regional differences in literacy.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
At present, I have one conference paper, one invited lecture, and one article planned for the current year related to this project. If and when entry restrictions are eased at the university libraries listed in my research plan, I plan to backload archival work to summer and fall 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 and second years 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 and part of FY 2022 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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