著者

松原 哲子

出版者

日本近世文学会

雑誌

近世文藝 (ISSN:03873412)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.117, pp.1-15, 2023 (Released:2023-07-31)

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As a result of analyzing the paper used in early-period “kusazōshi” and cheap late-period “kusazōshi”, I show that it is likely from the black pieces in the paper, the presence of fiber clusters, etc., that “kusazōshi” fundamentally used recycled paper for the main text paper from their outset. In addition, having found largish impurities originating from blades of the riceplant here and there in “kusazōshi” paper, I point to a supposition that blades of the rice plant were used as a material. Impurities originating from wastepaper and blades of the rice plant create irregularities in the condition of the printing. However, in the paper used for “kusazōshi” – far from being called good in quality - I was able to confirm the presence of rice starch granules. Rice starch granules were normally added to improve the quality of the printing, but their discovery in early-period “kusazōshi” and cheap late-period “kusazōshi” is in amounts too low to be effective. This was paper of a quality where impurities having a negative effect on the printing were not removed. Taking into consideration that fact, I recognized that these rice starch granules were not added, but somehow got incorporated during the paper-making process. As this shows, “kusazōshi” were born as ephemeral publications also from the aspect of paper quality, and continued to develop along those lines.