Rare Edo Period Japanese Sumo Banashi Woodblock Book “Senryō Yokozuna Banashi” (c.1800s)

Bring a piece of vibrant Edo Japan into your collection with this rare and authentic Kibyōshi or Kusazōshi style woodblock-printed booklet titled 「千両横綱談」(Senryō Yokozuna Banashi), meaning “Tales of the Thousand-Ryō Yokozuna”. This intriguing volume weaves colorful anecdotes about the legendary sumo wrestler “Sekitori Raizo”, a larger-than-life character who likely embodies the popular fascination with sumo heroes during Japan’s late Edo period.

📖 Historical Context & Story
These popular books were the manga of their day — accessible illustrated stories that entertained the townspeople with tales of kabuki actors, sumo champions, everyday gossip, and humor. The word Yokozuna signifies the highest rank in sumo wrestling, reserved only for the greatest champions — “Senryō” (千両) literally means “one thousand ryō”, symbolizing an enormous sum of money and prestige at the time. This book likely includes dramatized biographical sketches, moral tales, and witty dialogues celebrating the heroic and sometimes scandalous world of sumo.

🗾 Publisher & Provenance
Published by Kashimaya Seisuke (加嶋屋清助), an established Edo-period publisher from the Osaka Suzumachi district, this piece bears original publisher’s marks, block print calligraphy, and multiple collectors’ seals in vivid vermillion ink. You can spot fine detail stamps such as 「富田幸」(Tomita Kō) — likely a collector or regional approval seal — and other handwritten marginalia, lending it a unique sense of historic authenticity.

📜 Physical Details

Size: approx. 16 x 22 x 1 cm — typical for a kusazōshi format booklet

Pages: multiple folios of handmade washi paper with visible plant fibers, natural inclusions, and uneven deckle edges

Binding: traditional fukuro-toji (stab-stitch binding), with hand-threaded cord still partially intact

Condition: antique wear consistent with age — some wormholes, tears, and ink rub-off that speak to its genuine Edo-period use and survival.

🖌️ Artistic & Cultural Value
Each page bursts with bold brushwork in flowing kuzushiji script (cursive kanji/kana), typical of late-Edo popular prints. This style is closely linked with the Kamigata (Osaka-Kyoto) woodblock tradition, famous for its dynamic, theatrical storytelling and humorous street-life depictions. These works are now highly collectible among specialists of ukiyo-e, early Japanese literature, and sumo history.

🏯 Connections to History & Museums
Similar examples can be found in the National Diet Library of Japan, the Sumo Museum in Ryōgoku Kokugikan (Tokyo), and international collections such as the British Museum and Harvard-Yenching Library. Such publications give rare insights into everyday entertainment and the urban print culture that flourished in bustling merchant districts like Osaka’s Suzumachi.

💎 A Unique Collector’s Find
Whether you are an avid collector of Japanese manuscripts, washi ephemera, woodblock prints, or Edo-period folklore, this is an evocative piece that bridges the world of sumo, kabuki, and popular culture. Display it framed open to show its flowing calligraphy, or keep it as a treasure for study — a beautiful testament to Japan’s handcraft heritage.

📦 Shipping & Care
Your book will be carefully wrapped with archival materials and sturdy protective packaging to preserve its fragile edges and ink. Ships securely from Riga, Latvia (Riga Gallery of Japanese Art “CloudyYokomido”), trusted specialists in rare Japanese books and prints.

📌 Highlights
Original Edo-period sumo folk tale booklet (c.1800s)
Osaka imprint by Kashimaya Seisuke
Handmade washi paper with visible plant fibers
Dramatic calligraphy in kuzushiji style
Authentic stamps, publisher marks, and historic marginalia
Connected to Japan’s rich sumo and kabuki print tradition
Perfect for collectors of kibyōshi, kusazōshi, ukiyo-e, samurai-era ephemera, or Japanese calligraphy

Add this historic treasure to your collection and keep alive the spirit of Edo Japan’s bustling sumo arenas and lively book markets!

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