KAIRIKU OKATAME TSUKE [LARGE KAWARABAN NEWS- SHEET DEPICTING COMMODORE MATTHEW PERRY'S SHIPS IN EDO HARBOR, WITH A LIST OF THE LORDS AVAILABLE FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE SHOGUN]

[Edo, ca. 1854].. Two sheets joined at the center to form a single broadside, total size 16 x 24 inches. Old folds. Light foxing and minor edge wear. Very good. An unusually large and well maintained "kurofune" kawaraban news-sheet depicting the entrance of Perry's Black Ships into Edo Bay in 1854. The majority of the broadside is occupied by a large map and illustration of Edo Bay, with Perry's ships depicted in dramatic manner in the lower center, with three masts, a paddle, a plain striped flag, and smoke billowing from the exhaust funnel. Text next to the ships describes them and estimates their crew complements. The land surrounding the bay is thoroughly labeled with some geographical features as well as the names and banners of the lords in charge. The section of the print above the map lists the larger daimyo with images of their Kamon, or clan crests, and descriptions of the defense forces they would be able to muster. The inset portrait is of an American soldier in uniform.

Kawaraban were illicitly printed woodblock news sheets distributed in large numbers during the Edo period. They covered a range of topics meant as much to entertain as to inform, including natural disasters, crime, major political events, humorous stories, and more. The arrival of Perry's ships in 1853 was an incredible shock to the people of Japan, and "kurofune ("black ship") kawaraban" became a genre all their own. Since no official report was ever distributed by the Japanese government, these quickly- printed and widely-distributed news sheets were the primary way that the general public connected with the arrival of Americans in their midst.

A particularly large, detailed, and well- preserved broadside relaying this pivotal moment in the history of Japan, America, and the world to the Japanese people. Kawaraban were cheaply made and ephemeral, though produced in relatively large numbers. We locate copies of this rare print at the Huntington Library and the Tateyama City Museum in Japan. OCLC 1124857994.