에도시대 상업서적 문화와 서적중개상 ―가시혼야(貸本屋)에 의한 가시혼(貸本)의 생산, 유통, 소비―

Abstract

The development of the Japanese commodity distribution economy, which centered on Kashimonoya (the middle and late Edo period), made a substantial difference in book publishing and distribution. Kashihon, one of the miscellaneous goods handled during Kashimonoya, will be responsible for the production, distribution, and consumption of books centered on Honya due to the development of the original print, the increase of the number of tables, and the expansion of the reader base, including female readers. In addition, Kashihonya was able to grasp their needs and interests because it was a structure that visited the readers directly and distributed the books. This is why Kashihonya was in charge of publishing in the latter part of the Edo period and was able to publish and distribute bestsellers. As such, Kashihonya played a big role in the distribution and consumption of popular culture in the mid-to-late Edo period, and its traditions continued until the early Japanese modern era. This method of consuming goods (as a rental system) can still be seen in cases of household appliances, music, and videos. In addition, these rental books and book brokerage awards demonstrate the consumption patterns of universal books that have occurred in Korea, China, Japan, and East Asia as well as in Europe. However, in the Edo period of Japan, many pieces of literature intended for entertainment were published with broad-ranging categories, from annals to spring editions. Late Edo Kashihon brought books, products, medicines, and so on together, and its commercial character became more solid and played the same role as the current popular magazine.