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Masahiro Tanahashi

たなはし まさひろ

Tanahashi Masahiro

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1947-01-01 （Tsuchizaki Port, Akita City, Akita Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Early modern Japanese literature scholar, University professor, Dictionary editor / Compiler
Active Years
1972-
Affiliations
Teikyo University, Faculty of Letters

Education

Waseda University
Faculty of Letters
Degree: 学士(文学)
Year of Graduation: 1972
Country: Japan
Waseda University Graduate School of Letters
Graduate School of Letters / Department of Japanese Literature
Degree: 修士(文学)
Year of Graduation: 1978
Country: Japan
Waseda University
Graduate School of Letters / Department of Japanese Literature
Degree: 博士(文学)
Year of Graduation: 1995
Country: Japan
Dissertation: "Study of Edo Comic Writings (Gisaku)"

Awards

Kubota Uho Prize
1987
Organization: Kubota Uho Prize Committee
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Comprehensive Survey of Kibyoshi (Volumes 1–3)

1986 Scholarly research

A multi-volume comprehensive survey cataloguing and analyzing kibyoshi and other late-Edo comic writings; serves as a reference work for early modern popular literature.

kibyoshicomic writings (gisaku)early modern Japanese literature

Edo Pastimes

1999 Popular scholarly book

An accessible exploration of leisure and pastimes in Edo-period Japan based on historical materials.

Edo period customspopular culture

Illustrated Guide to Edo Sites: Sumidagawa

1998 Guide / Commentary

A pictorial guide to famous sites along the Sumida River, introducing Edo geography and customs.

Edo famous placespictorial explanation

Masterpieces Too Risqué for Textbooks: Rediscovering the Edo Period

2003 Popular non-fiction

Presents vivid writings and cases from the Edo period that are often omitted from school textbooks, aiming to rediscover the era.

Edo literaturecultural history

The Fabricated Hero: Tōyama Kinsirō

2010 Popular / Scholarly

A critical examination of the figure Tōyama Kinsirō, investigating historical sources and deconstructing the later-constructed hero image.

legend vs. historical factbiographical study

Reading Yama Tōkyōden's Kibyoshi: Edo Economy and Social Customs

2012 Scholarly research

A study interpreting the economy and social customs of Edo through the kibyoshi works of Yama Tōkyōden.

Yama Tōkyōdenkibyoshisocial history

Bibliography

  • Comprehensive Survey of Kibyoshi (Vols. 1–3)
  • Shikitei Sanba: Collected Works
  • Studies on Kibyoshi
  • Illustrated Guide to Edo Sites: Sumidagawa
  • Edo Pastimes
  • Masterpieces Too Risqué for Textbooks: Rediscovering the Edo Period
  • The Fabricated Hero: Tōyama Kinsirō
  • Reading Yama Tōkyōden's Kibyoshi: Edo Economy and Social Customs

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Source-focused, annotation-heavy scholarly styleAccessible explanatory tone for general audiences
Recurring Motifs
Edo popular cultureanalysis of gisaku and kibyoshiillustrated explanatory approaches

Legacy

A leading scholar of early modern Japanese literature—especially gisaku and kibyoshi—who has contributed both rigorous scholarship and accessible works that deepen public understanding of Edo-period culture; also contributed to lexicographic projects.

Academic Societies

  • Japanese Society for Early Modern Literature

Archives

  • National Diet Library (Japan)

In Popular Culture

  • Appearances on TV programs such as 'Trivia no Izumi'

Trivia

  • He is a maternal cousin of economist Tatsuya Nakamura.
  • Has contributed to dictionary projects such as the Nihon Kokugo Daijiten and Daijisen.
  • Has appeared as a commentator on trivia TV shows and radio programs.