kawara-ban

Japanese newspaper printing

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "kawara-ban" refers to Japanese broadsheets that were printed using a "tile-block printing" method. These publications were prevalent throughout the Tokugawa period (1603–1867).1

Kawara-ban reported on a variety of events, including popular festivals, natural disasters, significant occurrences like the siege of Osaka Castle in 1615, and personal scandals, particularly the fashionable double suicides of the Genroku period (1688–1704). While many reports covered relatively harmless events, the writers often remained anonymous due to fear of punishment from shogunate officials for discussing political or social issues without authorization.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

history of publishing
Early newspapers in Japan
…by reading them aloud) or kawara-ban (“tile-block printing,” the method of production). The kawara-ban broadsheets appeared continuously throughout the Tokugawa period (1603–1867), reporting popular festivals, natural disasters, important events such as the siege of Osaka Castle in 1615, and personal scandals—notably the double suicides fashionable during the Genroku period (1688–1704).…
Read More
…by reading them aloud) or kawara-ban (“tile-block printing,” the method of production). The kawara-ban broadsheets appeared continuously throughout the Tokugawa period (1603–1867), reporting popular festivals, natural disasters, important events such as the siege of Osaka Castle in 1615, and personal scandals—notably the double suicides fashionable during the Genroku period (1688–1704).…
Read More