[Gyorui shōjin Hayami kondatechō]

[Ikeda, Tori]. [Gyorui Shojin Hayami Kondatecho] [Koto Shorin]: [Kyoto], Tenpo 5 (1834). (125x180mm) four hole stab sewn binding, 84 folded leaves, 6 woodblock illustrations. (illustrated by Hishikawa Kiyoharu)

IKEDA, Tōri. 池田東籬亭.

魚類精進早見献立帳. [Gyorui shōjin Hayami kondatechō] [Fish and Vegetarian Dishes: menus at a glance]

皇都書林 [Kōto Shorin] 京都. [Kyoto] : Yoshinoya Jinsuke, Metogiya Sōhachi. Tenpō 5 [1834].

Original traditional Japanese binding, 130 x 180mm; sea-blue shell relief-moulded heavy card covers, traditional four hole stab sewn binding in green silk; title page front free endpaper, 84 folded leaves; six monochrome woodblock illustrations of food preparation, service, cooking and the seating order of the guests.  Covers lightly soiled with small signs of kitchen use, edges rubbed and worn, neat repair to tears in front paste-down; small blemish to first leaf; gutter tail to first seven leaves faintly wormed, barely visible, not affecting the text.  In Japanese.
A delightful monochrome woodblock printed cookery book of fish and vegetarian dishes providing menus arranged for each month of the year with some general remarks on cuisine appropriate to each of the four seasons. 

The introduction claims that the aim of the book is to provide a handy reference for the common people for meals, banquets and religious occasions.  Guidance is provided as to proper serving style and etiquette (who should sit where, host, principal guest, secondary guest, etc) and how things should be presented noting the importance of selecting ingredients for their freshness.  Each full menu consists of two soups and seven fish and vegetarian dishes. Innovatively, readers could compose menus of different complexity from the suggested dishes by using a numbering system.  Many of the recommended dishes are numbered either "五[5]" or "三[3]" indicating that they can be used in a menu of five or three side dishes thus allowing the reader to quickly compose an appropriate menu with the requisite number of dishes.¹

Also included are two indexes of main and side dishes. The ten principles of cooking and serving food are listed at the end of the work.

The author, Ikeda Tōri 池田東籬 (1788-1857) was a popular author of both practical guides and works of fiction in the late Edo period. The illustrations were drawn by Hishikawa Kiyoharu 菱川清春 (1808-1877) a ukiyo-e artist active in Kyoto.  Katō Kansuke 加藤勘助 and Sofue Kippei 祖父江吉平 carved the block.

Scarce.  A lovely copy demonstrating traditional Japanese cookery during the late Edo period and before the assimilation of Western ingredients and the broader consumption of meat.

§  OCLC records only 6 holdings in North America and Europe; at least one holding (digital) in Japan² 

¹  Rath, Eric J. Food & Fantasy in early modern Japan. Berkeley : University of California Press, 2010 p.160.
²  Diet Library https://kokusho.nijl.ac.jp/biblio/100346968/1?ln=en