The House of Mishima Lunar Calender Publisher

Origin of the house The original house had been completely destroyed, hit by great earthquake of Ansei (the name of era in the Edo period) in 1854. After this, when the new house was under construction, the house was set on fire by one of its menservants and burned down. It is said that the present house was built by using the deserted house which had been a checking station (in feudal Japan) at Juurigi (in Susono city) through the good offices of the local magistrate of Nirayama whose name was Tarozaemon Egawa. It is a one-storied house with a floor space of 70 tsubo (1 tsubo = 3.306 square meters) and it had been the house of the Kawai family until it was donated to Mishima city in February, 2003. The Mishima Calendar had been produced here in this house until 16th year of Meiji era (1883).

Mishima Calendar The Mishima Calendar is a lunar-solar calendar, which was produced and sold by the Kawai family in Mishima. The oldest Mishima Calendar in existence was created in 1437. It is kept in Ashikaga Library (in Ashikaga city). The calendar was recorded in a document, which can be found in the collection of essays, Kuugenikku-shu, written by a learned priest, Shushin Gido, belonging to Rinzaishu, one of the Buddhist sects (1374). In his essay he says that when he stayed in Atami to enjoy its hot springs on his way to Kanto area from Kyoto, he found that there was a one day difference between his Kyo Calendar (make in Kyoto) and the Mishima Calendar which he bought in Mishima. Largely it is the common opinion that in the Kamakura ieva the Government (Shogunate) most likely used the Mishima Calendar because there was a special relationship between the Government and Mishima Taisha Shrine.

Characteristics. It is said that this is the oldest of all calendars printed in kana (the Japanese phonetic alphabet). Sales territory. The calendar's sales territory was the largest in the beginning of the Edo era, reindze from Shizuoka Pref. to Kanagawa Pref., Yamanashi Pref., Tokyo, Chiba Pref. and Nagano Pref. The calendar was officially used by the Government, but at the end of the era its territory was limited to Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Pref. and Kanagawa Pref. The imperial Court in Kyoto used the Kyo Calendar. (Kyoto was called Kyo in those days.) How to make the calendar. The calendar was made by applying Chinese ink to a wood block made of mountain cherry tree into which the calendar was engraved, then putting a sheet of paper on it, the paper was rubbed on the wood block with a flat, round tool to make a print. The wood block was very thick at first, but it was planed before being used again. It is unknown how many copies could be made from one wood block. Glue, made from boiled animal bones was mixed with soot, made from a burned pine tree to make ink. 3 ~ 4 sculptors were engaged, commuting every day. Shape and price. There were three different shapes. Scroll-shaped (to present to the Government and Mishima Taisha Shrine, Bound (16 pages, @ 150 mon), Broadsheet (15 mon). Note:The price of the 4th year of Keio (1868). 1 mon = 20.25 yen of today. Circulation. There is no special data about the circulation of the Mishima Calendar, but about 4.5 to 5 million copies of all kinds of calendars (for population of 28 million) were issued all over the country. In the Heian era (794 ~ 1191) only 80 copies were made. Troubles between the Mishima Calendar and other calendars. The Omiya (Saitama Pref.) calendar publisher forged the Mishima Calendar and was sentenced to be banished (1604). A lower Shinto priest in charge of visiting local believers from door-to-door to perform incantations and advertise the Shirine of lse Jingu left an lse calendar at each house for free on that occasion. Consequently, he was accused of violating the sales territory of the Mishima Calendar by the Mishima publisher who was afraid that its sales would drop off (1739). Contents of the calendar. About 30 items including scientific and other matters are mentioned with dates in the calendar. The typical things are as follows: Eight Shojin. Eight gods who symbolize eight directions. Each is in charge of each direction and shows what is good to do or bad in this direction in a year. Daino-tsuki. A month of 30 days according to the lunar-solar calendar. Shono-tsuki. A month of 29 days according to the lunar-solar calendar. Eto Chinese and Japanese signs of zodiac. 24 Sekki. 24 seasonal datum points. Seven Yo. Seven planets of Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Satum, Venus and Mercury. They were believed to control the earth every day by turns and each of them is showing every day luck (good luck and bad luck). Six Yo Six basic days showing different types of luck. Every day luck is decided according to the Yo so the same type of luck comes around every six days. Five Gyo Five elements of wood, fire, earth, gold, and water. Different combinations of two elements are considered the cause of one's rise and fall, and each combination is showing each day's luck and how to act. Twelve Choku Twelve stars forming the constellation including the Big Dipper, which were respected by the ancient people. They were named separately and each of them is combinend with each of the Chinese Zodiac signs, and each combination shows each day's type of luck and how to act. 28 Shuku. 28 constellations. The stars located along the ecliptic were divided into 28 constellations (according to Chinese opinion), and it was believed that the moon stayed every day in each of them. They show each day's type of luck and how to act.

Mishima tea ceremony cup. The original cup was imported into Kyoto from Korean Peninsula at the end of the Muromachi era (1393 ~ 1575). Its pattern of threadlike vertical stripes is so similar to the handwritten characters, which were printed on the Mishima Calendar that it is commonly said the cup was also named Mishima. There are several other opinions that it was named after some place in Korea or one of its islands, etc. At one time in Kyoto they called very small or fine things "mishima," referring to its delicate pattern. The name of Mishima was well-known because it was the first calendar to be printed only in kana (the Japanese phonetic alphabet). In Korea this cup is called Funseisaki.

The lunar-solar calendar The lunar calendar is created based on the movement of the moon. From the new moon to the next new moon via the full moon it takes 29.5 days, therefore there are two kinds of months, one a month of 30 days and the other of 29 days. However, in this case, the beginning day of the next year does not come around on the same time of the last year, and this difference is getting larger year by year. After 3 years there is one month difference between the first year and the third year. Consequently every three years a year has 13 months. The solar calendar is created based on the change of seasons according to the solar movement. It takes 365 days for four seasons to pass. The lunar-solar calendar is created based on the movement of the moon and includes the change of seasons according to the solar movement.

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