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JAPAN Art

Cover Story
“With the Air of Edo — Everyday Life in Asakusa Through Hiroshige’s Eyes”
江戸の空気とともに——広重のまなざしに映る、浅草の日常
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JAPAN Style
THE TERAKOYA THAT SHAPED THE JAPANESE PEOPLE
日本人をつくった寺子屋
Correction and Apology | 訂正とお詫び
In this issue’s Japan Style feature, “THE TERAKOYA THAT SHAPED THE JAPANESE PEOPLE,” we mistakenly attributed a quote about Japan’s literacy rate to Werner Siebold. The correct attribution should be to Philipp Franz von Siebold, a German physician and naturalist.
Werner Siebold is the author of the biography “Siebold: A Turbulent Life,” and was not the original source of the observation. We sincerely apologize for this oversight.
Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796–1866) visited Japan during the late Edo period. Serving as the physician at the Dutch trading post in Nagasaki (Dejima), he played a key role in introducing Western medicine and natural science to Japan. During his second stay in 1859, he was deeply impressed by the high literacy rate among ordinary Japanese people and documented this as evidence of Japan’s exceptional educational standards.
A corrected PDF version of the article is now available for download:
[Download link]
今月号「Japan Style ジャパンスタイル」特集内の「THE TERAKOYA THAT SHAPED THE JAPANESE PEOPLE 日本人をつくった寺子屋」記事において、識字率に関する記述の出典を「ヴェルナー・シーボルト」と紹介しておりましたが、正しくは フィリップ・フランツ・フォン・シーボルト による記録でした。なお、ヴェルナー・シーボルト氏は、彼の伝記『シーボルト、波瀾の生涯』の著者であり、記録の当事者ではありません。ここに訂正し、読者の皆様に深くお詫び申し上げます。
フィリップ・フランツ・フォン・シーボルト(1796–1866)は、江戸時代後期に来日したドイツ出身の医師・博物学者です。長崎・出島のオランダ商館医として、日本に西洋医学や博物学を紹介したことで知られています。1859年の再来日時には、庶民の識字率の高さに驚嘆し、日本の教育水準の高さを記録に残しました。
なお、訂正済みPDFバージョンは以下よりダウンロード可能です。
[ダウンロードリンク]

IBUKI Seasonal Breath
May’s Flower: Tsutsuji (Azalea)
5月の花:ツツジ
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JAPANese News
News Review
🎧The “Cushion” Beneath the Statue of Prince ShōToku at HōRyū-Ji Temple Has Been Replaced for the First Time in 200 Years
ほうりゅうじ、しょうとくたいしぞうの「ざぶとん」が200 ねんぶりにしんちょう
New Expression & Buzzwords
🎧平成女児 | Heisei Girl
🎧ジェネリック〇〇 | Jenerikku xx
Close Up Japan
🎧 A New Law to Regulate Social Media
SNS を規制する新しい法律
Pros and Cons with Insight
🎧 The Weakening of Human Connections in the Digital Society
デジタル化社会における人間関係の希薄化
Nihongo Do

Voice Wave | 言波
🎧 The Allure of Ancient Words Still Alive in the Japanese Language
日本語に息づく「古代語」の魅力

Word Leaves | 言の葉
🎧 Seasonal Word Leaves: “Satsuki” — May in Japan, Shimmering with Fresh Greenery
季節の言の葉:「皐月」— 新緑がきらめく、日本の5月

Voice-Word Art | 言技
🎧 Seasonal Voice-Word Art: The Gentle Breeze Carrying the Scent of Fresh Leaves in May
季節の言技:若葉の香を運ぶ風がそよぐ5月の季語

Japan Savvy | 日本通
🎧 The Japanese Spirit in a Cup of Tea
一杯のお茶に込められた、日本の心
>> Read Content | Coming Soon
Become a Ocha Savvy |お茶通になる

Behind the Scenes | 舞台裏
🎧 What is the Beauty of the “Wabi-Sabi” Aesthetic?
「わびさび」の美しさとは何か
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