Ishikawa Masamochi

{{Short description|Japanese poet, writer and scholar from the late Edo period}}

{{Nihongo|Ishikawa Masamochi|石川雅望||1754–1830}} was a Japanese kokugaku scholar, kyōka poet and writer of yomihon of the late Edo period.

Biography

Ishikawa Masamochi was born Nukaya Shichihē.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} According to the autobiographical Rokujuen Jihitsu Kirekiroku (六樹園自筆忌歴録), he was born on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month of Hōreki 3 according to the traditional Japanese calendar (1753/4 in the Gregorian calendar).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}

He was the eighth child of the {{interlanguage link|Kodenma-chō|ja|日本橋小伝馬町}}, Edo innkeeper Nukaya Shichihē, better known as the ukiyo-e master Ishikawa Toyonobu.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} His mother was Toyonobu's second wife, the younger sister of his first wife.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} According to Masamochi's autobiographical Towazu-gatari (とはずがたり), all of the children of his father's first wife died young.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}

He died on the 24th day of the third month of Bunsei 13 (1830).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} He was buried in the Kaya-dera (かや寺, official name 正覚寺 Shōkaku-ji) in Asakusa.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} His grave still exists, but the grave marker was destroyed in a fire.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}

Names

Masamochi's real birth name was Nukaya Shichihē (糠谷七兵衛).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} In his childhood he was known by the name Kiyonosuke (清之助).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} He changed his name to Ishikawa Gorobē (石川五郎兵衛) at one point.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}

His courtesy name was Shisō (子相). His kyōmei (狂名, kyōka pen name) was Yadoya Meshimori (宿屋飯盛),{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} a reference to his family business as innkeepers (宿屋 yadoya).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} He used numerous art names, including Rokujuen (六樹園),{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} Gorō Sannin (五老山人),{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} Gyakuryo Shujin (逆旅主人){{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} and Gajutsusai (蛾術斎).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}

His posthumous dharma name is Rokuju-in Daiyo Gorō Kyoshi (六樹院台誉五老居士).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}

Writings

= Scholarly works =

Perhaps because of his father's connections in the world of art and culture, Masamochi first began his Japanese studies under {{interlanguage link|Tsumura Sōan|ja|津村淙庵}} and Chinese studies (kangaku) under Furuya Sekiyō (古屋昔陽).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}

As a kokugaku scholar, his main research interest was The Tale of Genji,{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} on which he regularly lectured.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} These lectures formed the basis of his commentary, Genchū Yoteki,{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} and his gago (雅語, "elegant language") dictionary Gagen Shūran (雅言集覧).{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}

= Poetry =

He first took up kyōka composition under {{interlanguage link|Tsumuri no Hikaru|ja|岸文笑}},{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} but in 1783 became a disciple of Yomo no Akara.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} The same year, his kyōka appeared in Kyōka-shi Saiken (狂歌師細見; ed. {{interlanguage link|Hezutsu Tōsaku|ja|平秩東作}}) as those of a disciple of Fuguri Tsurikata (普栗釣方),{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}} and in Kyōka Shittariburi (狂歌知足振) as those of a disciple of Yomo no Akara.{{sfnm|1a1=Kasuya|1y=1983|1p=130}}