Seiyosanjikyo
Meiji period, dated 1874 / Book, ink on paper
A book written by Suzuki's father Ryōjun (1822-76) to provide the children with an easily understandable outline of Western history. Each phrase is 3 characters long, with 6 characters per line, and a total of 88 lines and 528 characters. The three-character phrasing facilitated memorization and recitation for the children. It begins with the story of Noah's ark, "Mukashi Seiyō kōzui ari (Long ago in the West there was a flood)", and moves on through the Roman Empire and European history. This book was based on the Honchō sanji kyō, which similarly outlines Japanese history in moraic hexameter.
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