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Ishikawa Masamochi

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Ishikawa Masamochi

Ishikawa Masamochi (石川 雅望, 1754–1830) was a Japanese kokugaku scholar, kyōka poet and writer of yomihon of the late Edo period.

Biography

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Ishikawa Masamochi was born Nukaya Shichihē.[1] According to the autobiographical Rokujuen Jihitsu Kirekiroku (六樹園自筆忌歴録), he was born on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month of Hōreki 3 according to the traditional Japanese calendar (1753/4 in the Gregorian calendar).[1]

He was the eighth child of the Kodenma-chō [ja], Edo innkeeper Nukaya Shichihē, better known as the ukiyo-e master Ishikawa Toyonobu.[1] His mother was Toyonobu's second wife, the younger sister of his first wife.[1] According to Masamochi's autobiographical Towazu-gatari (とはずがたり), all of the children of his father's first wife died young.[1]

He died on the 24th day of the third month of Bunsei 13 (1830).[1] He was buried in the Kaya-dera (かや寺, official name 正覚寺 Shōkaku-ji) in Asakusa.[1] His grave still exists, but the grave marker was destroyed in a fire.[1]

Names

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Masamochi's real birth name was Nukaya Shichihē (糠谷七兵衛).[1] In his childhood he was known by the name Kiyonosuke (清之助).[1] He changed his name to Ishikawa Gorobē (石川五郎兵衛) at one point.[1]

His courtesy name was Shisō (子相). His kyōmei (狂名, kyōka pen name) was Yadoya Meshimori (宿屋飯盛),[1] a reference to his family business as innkeepers (宿屋 yadoya).[1] He used numerous art names, including Rokujuen (六樹園),[1] Gorō Sannin (五老山人),[1] Gyakuryo Shujin (逆旅主人)[1] and Gajutsusai (蛾術斎).[1]

His posthumous dharma name is Rokuju-in Daiyo Gorō Kyoshi (六樹院台誉五老居士).[1]

Writings

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Scholarly works

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Perhaps because of his father's connections in the world of art and culture, Masamochi first began his Japanese studies under Tsumura Sōan [ja] and Chinese studies (kangaku) under Furuya Sekiyō (古屋昔陽).[1]

As a kokugaku scholar, his main research interest was The Tale of Genji,[1] on which he regularly lectured.[1] These lectures formed the basis of his commentary, Genchū Yoteki,[1] and his gago (雅語, "elegant language") dictionary Gagen Shūran (雅言集覧).[1]

Poetry

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He first took up kyōka composition under Tsumuri no Hikaru [ja],[1] but in 1783 became a disciple of Yomo no Akara.[1] The same year, his kyōka appeared in Kyōka-shi Saiken (狂歌師細見; ed. Hezutsu Tōsaku [ja]) as those of a disciple of Fuguri Tsurikata (普栗釣方),[1] and in Kyōka Shittariburi (狂歌知足振) as those of a disciple of Yomo no Akara.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Kasuya 1983, p. 130.

Works cited

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  • Kasuya, Hiroki (1983). "Ishikawa Masamochi". Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典 (in Japanese). Vol. 1. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten. pp. 130–131. OCLC 11917421.
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