Depictions of Martial and Spiritual Power in Eighteenth-Century Japanese Children's Picturebooks: Two Early Kusazōshi Works Featuring the Warrior Kumagai Naozane

Abstract

This article deals with early Kusazōshi a genre of Japanese picturebook published during the eighteenth century, and one of the antecedents of modern Japanese manga. It is thought that these books were enjoyed by both adults and children. I consider two works which deal with the twelfth-century warrior Kumagai Naozane, who famously became a monk in later life after reluctantly slaying a young noble on the battlefield. Firstly, after looking at previous literary depictions of Naozane, and placing the two Kusazōshi works in their historical context, I examine the unique way in which Naozane's martial and spiritual power is depicted, a depiction which provides a hint as to why this historical figure was so popular in the culture of the eighteenth century. Secondly, I look at elements in the two works (such as the fantastic and comic), that may have implied a child readership.