was an innovative Japanese publisher specializing in books in European languages on Japanese subjects. He employed leading foreign residents as translators and noted Japanese artists as illustrators, and became a leading purveyor of export books and publications for foreign residents in Japan.
Beginnings
Hasegawa's earliest known books were published under the "Kobunsha" imprint in the mid-1880s but around 1889 he began publishing under the names "T. Hasegawa" and "Hasegawa & Co." Early publications included a monochrome woodcut illustrated Hokusai collection and a two volume Writings of Buddha (Kobunsha, 1884).
Many of Hasegawa's early books were in the form of chirimen-bon (ちりめん本) or crêpe paper books.
Japanese Fairy Tale Series
In 1885, Hasegawa published the first six volumes of his Japanese Fairy Tale Series, employing American Presbyterian missionary Rev. David Thomson as translator. As the series proved profitable, Hasegawa added other translators beginning with James Curtis Hepburn for the seventh volume, including Basil Hall Chamberlain, Lafcadio Hearn, and Chamberlain's friend Kate James, wife of his Imperial Japanese Naval Academy colleague, Thomas H. James. The books were illustrated by Kobayashi Eitaku until his death in 1890, and by various other artists afterwards.
By 1903, the series reached 28 volumes in two series. Most of the stories were based on well-known Japanese folk tales, but some of the later books, including several by Lafcadio Hearn, are thought to have been invented rather than translated, or perhaps combine elements of several folk tales.Crepe-Paper Books and Woodblock Prints at the Dawn of Cultural Englightenment in Japan, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, 2007 The books continued to be reprinted, sometimes with variant titles, for several decades.
Number Title(s) Japanese name Translator Publication1Little Peachling MomotaroMomotaro David Thomson18852Tongue-Cut Sparrow Tongue Cut SparrowShita-kiri suzume David Thomson18853Battle of the Monkey and the Crab Battle of the Monkey & CrabSaru kani gassen David Thomson18854The Old Man Who Made the Dead Trees Blossom Hanasaki JijiHanasaki jiji David Thomson18855Kachi-Kachi Mountain Kachi-Kachi YamaKachi-kachi Yama David Thomson 18856The Mouse's Wedding Nedzumi no Yome-IriNezumi no Yomeiri David Thomson 18857The Old Man and the Devils The Old Man & the DevilsKobutoriJames Curtis Hepburn18868Urashima, The Fisher-Boy Urashima, The Fisher-Boy UrashimaUrashima TaroBasil Hall Chamberlain18869The Serpent With Eight Heads Yamata No OrochiYamata no orochiBasil Hall Chamberlain188610The Matsuyama Mirror Matsuyama KagamiMatsuyama kagamiMrs. T.H. (Kate) James188611The Hare of InabaInaba no shirousagiMrs. T.H. (Kate) James188612The Cub's Triumph Kitsune no TegaraKitsune no tegaraMrs. T.H. (Kate) James188613The Silly Jelly-FishKurage honenashiBasil Hall Chamberlain188714The Princes Fire-Flash and Fire-FadeTamanoiMrs. T.H. (Kate) James188715My Lord Bag-O'RiceTawara no TodaBasil Hall Chamberlain188716The Wooden BowlHachi kazukiMrs. T.H. (Kate) James188716*Wonderful Tea KettleBunbuku chagamaMrs. T.H. (Kate) James189617SchippeitaroShippeitaroMrs. T.H. (Kate) James188818The Ogre's ArmRashomonMrs. T.H. (Kate) James188919The Ogres of OyeyamaOeyamaMrs. T.H. (Kate) James?20The Enchanted WaterfallKo wa shimizuMrs. T.H. (Kate) James?21Three ReflectionsAma saibanMrs. T.H. (Kate) James189422The Flowers of Remembrance and ForgetfulnessMrs. T.H. (Kate) James189423The Boy Who Drew CatsEneko to nezumiLafcadio Hearn189824The Old Woman Who Lost Her DumplingLafcadio Hearn190225Chin Chin KobakamaChiichii kobakamaLafcadio Hearn19032-1The Goblin SpiderLafcadio Hearn1902?2-2The Wonderful MalletMrs. T.H. (Kate) James18992-3The Broken ImagesMrs. T.H. (Kate) James1903 -Princess Splendor: The Woodcutter's Daughter Princess Splendor, Japanese Fairy TaleTaketori monogatari Edward Rothesay Miller 1889-The Fountain of YouthLafcadio Hearn1922
The two series of fairy tale books were also packaged into various types of sets. In 1922 an additional Lafcadio Hearn title, The Fountain of Youth was added, and a five volume Hearn set was sold. Princess Splendor: The Woodcutter's Daughter, a translation of Taketori monogatari by American missionary Edward Rothesay Miller, was presumably excluded from the series because of its greater length. A three volume series of Aino Fairy Tales translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain, consisting of The Hunter in Fairy-Land, The Birds' Party, and The Man Who Lost His Wife, was also issued in 1887.
Many of the fairy tale books appeared in other European language translations, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swedish.
Other publications
Besides the popular fairy tale books, Hasegawa produced other books for Japan's tourist trade and foreign community. Many, like his illustrated calendars with humorous verses, were of an ephemeral nature. There were also translations of Japanese poetry, including the three volume series, Sword and Blossom: Poems from Japan translated by Charlotte Peake and Kimura Shotaro (1907-1910), collections of prints by famous artists such as Hiroshige and Hokusai, and illustrated books on Japanese life and customs, such as Japanese Pictures of Japanese Life (1895), Japanese Topsyturvydom by Mrs. E.S. Patton (1896), and The Favorite Flowers of Japan, with text by Mary E. Unger and illustrations by Mishima Shoso (1901).
References Citations
Bibliography
Riccardo, Franci (2008) Takejiro Hasegawa e le fiabe giapponesi del Museo Stibbert, Livorno,
External links
Hasegawa's Night Scenes series of woodblock prints The Hasegawa Typeface History and downloadable version of his font Video about Hasegawa's crepe books by David Bull (30 mins)