Month-Order Calendars: Miniature Worlds in Colored Woodblock Prints

What is a month-order calendar?

Until 1872, Japan followed a luni-solar calendar, with long and short months, whose order varied from year to year. This necessitated the use of a simple calendar indicating the order of months to be followed each year. Known in Japanese as daishō-reki, these month-order calendars often took the form of artistic works.
Here we showcase a number of daishō-reki from scrapbook collections.

[Image]Month-Order Calendar for the Year of the Hare

Month-Order Calendar for the Year of the Hare

Tokyo Shiryō Collection 5245-22

In this calendar the long months are written on the silk wrapping cloth, and the short months on the wrapping paper below the crossguard of the sword.
Some members of the warrior class were aficionados of daishō-reki too, so a considerable number of these calendars feature designs of swords and sword fittings that symbolize the warrior spirit.

[Image]Fire Safety Month-Order Calendar

Fire Safety Month-Order Calendar

Kaga Collection 155-16

Here the long and short months are written on the left and right of a slogan promoting fire safety. This calendar was likely displayed in places like kitchens where fire was used.

[Image]Month-Order Calendar for the Year of the Tiger

Month-Order Calendar for the Year of the Tiger

Kaga Collection 155-16

This calendar shows a poem that contains the long and short months.
The custom of designing calendars, new year's cards and the like using animals from the Chinese zodiac has survived to the present day.

Greeting Card from an Inn

Kaga Collection 155-16

[Image]Greeting Card from an Inn

Here, the long and short months are hidden within a greeting card. Can you see where? There is a hint in the opening sentence: "Find them in the notebook."

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