Fishes of Edo

Decipher the history of Japanese people and fishes with authoritative Edo-period illustration collections. This third volume following Flowers of Edo and Birds of Edo turns its focus onto fishes. Mōri Baien was a natural history painter considered to be representative of the Edo period. This book features illustrations of 94 species created by Mōri Baien carefully selected from Baien-Gyofu (Baien Atlas of Fishes) and Baien-Gyohinzusei (Baien Pictorial Encyclopedia of Fishes), explained in bilingual Japanese-English text with information about each fish, such as the origin of its Japanese name, classification, scientific name, etc. In addition, cultural information such as what each fish was used for during the Edo period, the folklore surrounding them, and more are also introduced. This book deciphers one aspect of the profound story of Japanese people living in a seafaring country and fishes.

Author Biography

After graduating from Tama Art University in 1969, Kazuhiko Tajima joined Shiseido’s advertising department. After serving as general manager and creative director there, he became independent in 2005 and currently works as a freelancer.