E-hon

E-hon (絵本; or ehon) is the Japanese term for picture books. It may be applied in the general sense, or may refer specifically to a type of woodblock printed illustrated volume published in the Edo period (1603–1867).

A distinctive element of Tokugawa Japanese book culture, e-hon were intended as much for viewing as for reading. Covering an array of subjects, they combined images with brief captions, poems or short essays depicted in elegant calligraphy. This style of brief narrative text accompanying each illustration has led to ehon being referred to as the forerunners of modern Japanese manga or cartoon books. Early ehon were printed monochromatically until color was introduced in the eighteenth century through printing techniques adapted from China. Their visual richness and narrative versatility made them accessible to a wide audience, helping to bridge elite artistic traditions with the tastes of an expanding urban readership. In this way, ehon played a key role in shaping the development of illustrated storytelling in Japan.

The first e-hon were religious items with images by Buddhist painters. Those from the Muromachi period are typically known as nara-ehon. In the early modern period (1600–1868) illustrated books exploded in popularity. They covered a diverse range of subjects with experimentation in production techniques.

E-hon production was a significant part of the Japanese publishing industry (particularly) during the 19th century; most Japanese woodblock print artists of the period produced e-hon designs (often in large quantities), as commercial work.

Toward the end of the 19th century, e-hon chapter-books were eclipsed in popularity by the new "Western" concept of literary magazines. These were larger books which contained more, and a wider range of material per-issue, but usually fewer pictures (measured on a text-to-images ratio). They often used more modern printing methods; the increase in production costs was offset by increased efficiency, larger-scale printing and distribution, and the introduction of advertising. Typically, a magazine would include one large folded, polychrome illustration referencing some "feature" story in the volume, as a frontispiece. Such pictures, woodblock-printed in colour, are known as kuchi-e. The new format also absorbed most of the remaining talent and market for ukiyo-e style prints.