松浦武四郎は叔父で画家であった松浦青田（せいでん）から画業を学んだという。この人物についての記録はなかなか探せないけれど、たぶん父親の弟にして名家の出身者らしく自由を謳歌して生きた人物と想像される。武四郎の出版活動ではその伝達力を高めた属性として、ビジュアルコミュニケーションの力量を感じさせられるが、一族の血脈にそうしたDNAが宿っている証拠なのかもしれない。
　ある作品では武四郎は人物の表情だけ描いて、背景の描写は叔父さんが描いたとされている。
　武四郎は生涯で350点以上の著作があり100点近くを出版している。蝦夷地関係にとどまらず四国、九州、青森、秋田、佐渡の旅行記や晩年の各地の旅の記録など多岐にわたる。出版物は当時の江戸や上方で「多気志楼物（たけしろうもの）」と呼ばれるほど人気だったと言われる。ことしはNHK大河ドラマで江戸期の出版世界が紹介されているけれど、世界有数の「識字率」社会で「売れる」作家として人気を博していた様子がわかる。その社会的な影響力の大きさは現代の「作家」たちのレベルをはるかに超えた社会的なインパクトを持っていたことがわかる。想像力を飛躍させて今日社会であえて比喩するとすれば放送局としてのNHK総体程度の「存在感」だったのではないだろうか。
　はるかな後世、住宅写真ビジュアルで「伝える」仕事をしてきた人間として、衝撃的に見させていただいている。北方の蝦夷の世界への人びとの興味を激しく刺激してくれたことで、いまに続く日本社会での「北海道」への愛の籠もった視線が醸成されていったと考えられる。感慨はより大きい。
　また、武四郎は北海道ものだけではなく、国内旅行の探訪ものも多く出版している。「道中記」とビジュアルがワンパッケージされて双六のような親しみやすい構成ものもみられる。出版元と作家の企画についてのやり取りもほのぼのと伝わってきて興味深い。
　
●お知らせ
拙書「作家と住空間」幻冬舎から電子書籍で発刊
お求めはAmazonで。
https://amzn.asia/d/eUiv9yO

English version⬇

[Visual artist who conveys the unknown world / Takeshi Matsuura-11]
A new media artist who conveys extremely interesting themes to many people with extraordinary clarity. His social presence is remarkable. …

　Matsuura Takeshiro learned painting from his uncle, Matsuura Seiden, who was also a painter. Records about this person are hard to find, but he was probably his father’s younger brother and came from a prominent family, so he probably lived a life of freedom. In Takeshiro’s publishing activities, his ability to communicate visually stands out as a trait that enhanced his ability to convey information, but this may be evidence that such DNA runs in the family.
　In one work, Takashiro is said to have drawn only the expressions of the characters, while his uncle drew the background.
Takashiro produced more than 350 works in his lifetime and published nearly 100 of them. His works cover a wide range of topics, including travelogues of Shikoku, Kyushu, Aomori, Akita, and Sado, as well as records of his travels in various places in his later years, not limited to Ezo. His publications were so popular that they were referred to as “Takashiro-mono” in Edo and Kyoto at the time. This year, the Edo-period publishing world is being featured in an NHK historical drama, but it is clear that he was a popular writer who sold well in a society with one of the world’s highest literacy rates. The magnitude of his social influence far exceeded that of modern-day writers, demonstrating a level of social impact that was truly remarkable. If we were to use a metaphor from today’s society, his presence was perhaps comparable to that of NHK as a broadcasting station.
As someone who has worked in the field of residential photography and visual communication, I am deeply moved by this. His work sparked intense interest in the world of the Ainu people in the north, which likely contributed to the development of the affectionate gaze toward Hokkaido that continues in Japanese society today. The sense of awe is even greater.
　Additionally, Takashi published not only works about Hokkaido but also many about domestic travel. Some of these works combine travelogues with visuals in a user-friendly, board-game-like format. The interactions between the publisher and the author regarding the project are also charmingly conveyed, making it an intriguing read.

●Announcement
My book “Writers and Living Spaces” has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available for purchase on Amazon.

Posted on 8月 8th, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究