Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-12
The Antiquity Of Printing.

At the last meeting Of the Asiatic Society of
Japan, Mr.. E. Satow read paper ION the
Early History of Printing in Japan" The art
OF printing on wooden blocks in China seems to
be due to the accident Of some one desiring to
obtain fac simile of an inscription on stone
monument in the first instance, by the process
of rubbing with coloring matter over the paper,
and subsequently by covering the stone with
Indian ink, placing the paper against it. and
rubbing. 1t was probably long before the plan
of engraving composition for the express pur-
pose OF taking copies was thought of. In It's
A. d. the text of the Chinese classics was cut on
tablets which were erected outside the univer-
sity, and of these Impressions were taken,
some OF which are said to be still in existence
Printing from wooden blocks seems to be no
older than the end of the sixth century. It
was not until the tenth century was well adj
vanced that printed books became common. In
Japan the earliest example of block printing
dates from the middle of the eighth century
Before that stone inscriptions and seals with
engraved characters were in use. The early
Japanese prints were chiefly reproductions of
the Chinese Buddhist and classical works, the
absence of a native literature apparently re-
tarding the adoption of the art of printing.
The first really national work printed in
Japan was the ''Ni-hon-gi," at the very
end of the sixteenth century. Printed
slips containing Dtarani out of the
Buddhist Scripture were distributed through
out Japan to the number of 1000 600
In 764-770; these were apparently printed from
cast copper or bronze blocks rather than from
wooden ones. The earliest Japanese printed
books were of a considerably later date. OF
those which have come down to modern times
the oldest was printed about 1900 Printing
received great impulse from the expeditions
OF Hideyoshi against Korea, when number
of books were brought back by the victors.
and the Japanese learned what had been achieved
by a people whom they had considered vastly
their interiors. Among these were some books
printed with movable type. a continuance which
seems to have found immediate favor with the
Japanese, for nearly all the books produced
during the next thirty or forty years were printed
with movable type. The use OF movable type
was said to date in China from the middle of the
eleventh century but the author had not been
able to cOrrObOrate this statement Movable
copper type was used in Korea at the beginning
OF the fifteenth century, and even earlier indeed,
one book so printed appeared to date from the
years 1917 and 1924. And even if it were after
all not so old as it seemed to be. there were
others dating unquestiOnabIy anterior to the
date of invention of printing by movable type in
Europe. The invention reached Japan from
Korea, and there was distinct mention of
Korean types produced by casting and molding
were extremely common in more recent JAPANESE
literature, the earliest Mr. Satow knew bore the
date 1910. Previous to this, however. there were
wOodcuts on large scale representing the pop
ular gods, and to some of these very great are
was attributed. One Of them dated from 1Ol7
ana another was engraved by Nichi-ren, who
died i'm 1882