Hana katsumi ko [Thoughts about Hana katsumi].
Five full-page botanical woodcuts. 28 folding leaves. 8vo, orig. brown wrappers, new stitching. [Probably printed in today’s Miyagi Prefecture, Japan]: first Preface dated 1798.
First edition of this very rare provincial imprint; no copy in WorldCat. Fujitsuka (1737-99), was born in humble surroundings, and his parents died early. An excellent student, he was adopted by the master of the Shiogama Jinja shrine in Miyagi Prefecture. Fujitsuka eventually married the daughter of the shrine master and was able to pursue his scholarly activities. A bibliophile with a large library, he studied Shinto theology, ancient stele, early waka poetry, and materia medica... More