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Gariban Exhibition
We went to see Gariban Exhibition at Kanda (Book city).
`GARIBAN - Mimeograph` : a simple printing machine which did not need electricity.
It was used at school, in the workplace , social movements, etc., till
the 1970s. Much experience was needed to use the iron-pen when producing
class newsletters and communication between small groups of Japanese intellectuals.
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| Gariban was created in 1894 (Meiji 27) by Horii Toshado in Kanda. During
the the early stages of the Meiji era, Kanda was previously known as a
scholar town due to the many scholars and students which frequented the
neighborhood. With the introduction of Gariban, the ease of printing gave
rise to many literature being made and thus Gariban culture was born. Kanda
was then known as a book city. |
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| The I.T. age began at the end of the 20th century, where communication
with cellular phones and e-mail is commonplace now. In such a time, there
is a certain attraction towards handmade printings which cannot be expressed
by mimeographing in digital form. It has been 110 years since the Gariban
mimeograph was invented. In this exhibition we looked back upon the history
of Japanese handmade printing. |
The contents of the exhibition
A) 110 years of Gariban followed by historical records
The relation of culture and Gariban were shown through precious historical
records, such as stencil papers, YASURI, iron-pens, the printed methods
of the Meiji term, the coterie magazine of the Taisho Era, the "Showa
Dogetuhou" and the "Nankyoku newspaper", and illegal fliers.
Edison's mimeograph and Horii Toshado`s first machine were especially
displayed . The methods of mimeograph drawing, and Mr. Hachiju Wakayama
collections were also exhibited.
B) Education and Gariban
Gariban was to create class newsletters, collection of compositions by school children, etc., and so became an important tool for education. 6000 or more class communications etc. were exhibited here. We learned how Gariban influenced other cultures like in Mongolia and Laos to produce thier own printing method called `TOSHABAN`
C) The mimeograph fine arts
The colorful expressions of mimeograph fine arts from the maestro to present-day
mimeograph painter of fine arts were exhibited.
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| 19 Oct 2004 |
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