くずし字学習支援アプリKuLA vs Hyper Edohaku Nihonbashi

Have you ever wanted to read what it says in old Japanese paintings? How about books that describe swords from the Edo period? Reading books from the Edo period or earlier requires the ability to read “kuzushiji” – characters written in a style not used today. KuLA, the Kuzushiji Learning Application, was developed to help people learn kuzushiji effectively on a smartphone or tablet. Using the test and social-media functions in KuLA will make learning difficult characters easy and fun. KuLA has three main sections: -Learn This section is for learning how to read hentaigana (hiragana that are no longer used today) and cursive-style kanji, using over 3000 images of individual characters. Progress can be checked using the review tests. -Read Remembering only the characters isn’t enough for reading actual texts. In this section, kuzushiji can be practiced in context using images taken from books published in the Edo period. This version currently includes Hojoki (An Account of My Hut), Shinpan Nazonazo Sugoroku (New Edition Riddle Sugoroku [an illustrated board game]), and Aramimei Zukushi Koshu (New Sword Inscriptions, Continued). -Connect Did you find characters you can’t read? Why not ask other users?! The Connect section features social-media tools which allow communication with other kuzushiji learners over the internet, such as by posting a question to the message board with attached pictures of difficult characters. Let’s enter the world of classical Japanese literature and documents with KuLA! KuLA was primarily developed in the Graduate Faculty of Letters, Osaka University for the research project “Developing an International Educational Program Related to Japanese Classical books” (Project leader: Professor Iikura Yoichi) and was supported by the JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research (2015).

A new version of Hyper Edohaku, the popular interactive phone app from the Edo-Tokyo Museum, has been released, focusing on the money situation in the Edo period. In Edo, people and goods gathered from across Japan, fostering the development of diverse businesses. Players become one of the merchants and experience the money-related culture of Edo through their lives. The main character is the third-generation young master of a lantern shop in Nihonbashi. Disowned by his parents and penniless, he searches for a place to live, finds a job, learns about money and business, and opens up a new path in life. Just as a flower that has fallen in the fall will bloom again in the spring, money will always pass through people's hands, bringing happiness and hardship. Discover 100 Items from the Museum Collection The main character lives in Nihonbashi during the Edo period, which flourished as a commercial center. The　bustling thoroughfare of Nihonbashi, teeming with various types of businesses, has been recreated in a 3D space. Hidden in the landscape are 100 items, especially selected from the 350,000 in the museum collection. How to use money in Edo How did the common people of Edo perceive money compared to modern-day standard? The app vividly portrays various scenarios depicting the usage of money in Edo, from everyday expenses such as food, clothing, and housing to disparities in wages, and even ceremonial occasions like funerals and weddings. Various businesses in Edo In Edo, where people gathered from all over Japan, there were many different types of businesses. The main street from Kanda to Nihonbashi is lined with odana (large merchant, lit., “big stores”), and while there are businesses that support people's daily lives, such as bathhouses, secondhand clothing stores, and fishmongers, there are also many businesses that flourished, such as moneylenders and money changers.