[Antique Book Introduction] A Baton of Health Transcending Time and Space: The Edo Period Bible 'Yojokun'

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Welcome to Shinsho's 'Koyominatei'.
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An encounter with an antique book

Recently, an antique book has come into my possession.
It is the Edo period health bible'Yojokun' (Precepts for Health).

On this blog, I would like to carefully unravel the wisdom contained in this book, one item at a time, in a new segment called'Daily Yojokun'.

First, as an introduction, please allow me to share the magnificent journey across time and space that this antique book has taken.

A 'Baton of Health' that has traveled three hundred years

Thecontentof this volume has traveled through time for hundreds of years, passing through many hands before reaching me.

First, please enjoy the preface!

Taisho Era [Original Text]

AI [Modern Japanese Translation] (Paraphrased)

Preface
Master Kaibara Ekken was a renowned Confucian scholar of the early modern period (Edo period), and as everyone knows, he was widely learned and possessed vast knowledge. Hundreds of volumes of books written by the Master are in circulation, but among them, this 'Yojokun' is the one that most earnestly embodies his passion for teaching and guiding the general public who lack such knowledge.

Because he describes the facts that he himself actually tested and practiced in his daily life—such as rising and sleeping, sitting and standing, moving and resting, and speaking and remaining silent—there is not even a hint of superficiality (armchair theory) in it. It is truly a book worthy of being called a precious treasure of this world.

How do we know that its effects are genuine? It is because the Master himself practiced it and ultimately lived a long life nearing 100 years (he died at 85, which was considered the highest level of longevity at the time). This is the result brought about by the art of health preservation, and it is solid proof that the Master's book contains no falsehoods. And so on.

The text above is an excerpt from a piece written in the 9th year of Bunka (1812) by a doctor named Yoshiatsu Sugimoto from Iwami Province (present-day Shimane Prefecture) in praise of the 'Yojokun'. This shall serve as the preface (for this book).

💡 Supplementary Points
'Longevity nearing 100 years': Ekken passed away at 84 (85 by traditional East Asian age reckoning), but compared to the average life expectancy at the time, it was a truly astonishing, long life that could literally be called 'nearing 100 years'.

'Superficial theory': This means hollow splendor, or 'theories that are all talk' and 'empty arguments without practice'. It highly evaluates Ekken's thorough focus on the field and his pragmatism.

AI [Modern Japanese Translation]
(This is a passage from ~.) I use this in place of a preface for this book.
June, Taisho 14 (1925)

Written by the Editor

💡 Supplementary Point
'Motte ~ ni kawu': An expression in the style of Kanbun kundoku (reading Chinese classics in Japanese), meaning 'to use as a substitute for ~'.

'Shirusu' (to write): A term often used at the end of a text, meaning 'to write down' or 'to record'. Here, it acts like a signature indicating 'the editor wrote this'.

This conclusion conveys well how the editor of this book found an old recommendation from the Edo period in 1925, was moved by it, and quoted it in place of their own preface, feeling that 'there are no words that better convey the greatness of this book'.

Afterword of Yojokun!

AI [Modern Japanese Translation]

The content written here is a simplified expression of the words of the sages of the past, inheriting their intent, and developing and expanding upon it in my own way. Also, there is much I have learned from excellent seniors. I have written down what I have actually tested myself and found to be effective, even if it is a personal theory (speculation) lacking scientific basis.

This is the basic mindset (general intent) of Yojo. As for the fine points of the specific items, it is impossible to tell everything. Those who aspire to the path of health maintenance (nurturing life) should read many old books and learn for themselves. Even if one understands the basic policy, it is difficult to complete the path if one does not know the specific, detailed practical methods.

When I was reading books in my younger days, I collected old words that explained the art of Yojo from many books, gave them to my disciples, and had them classify them by category.

I named it 'Isei Shuyo'. Those who wish to devote their hearts to Yojo should definitely refer to this as well. What is written here (in 'Yojokun') is a selection of the most important points from that work.

Auspicious day in the first month of the year of the Water Snake (Mizunoto-mi), 3rd year of Shotoku (1713)

Written by Kaibara Atsushi (Ekiken), an 84-year-old man

👉 In this blog, we have revived this wisdom of health, passed down through the ages, into modern language with the help of AI (Gemini). Please make use of it for your daily self-care of mind and body.

※The images of the books posted in the text have been corrected by AI.

Historical Background

About 300 years ago (Edo period, early 1700s)
Master Kaibara Ekiken wrote 'Yojokun' after repeated experiments on his own body.

About 200 years ago (9th year of Bunka, 1812)
Dr. Sugimoto Yoshiatsu from Iwami resonated deeply with Ekiken's philosophy of 'preventing illness before it happens'. He produced a new edition with his own commentary, which became a major bestseller in the Edo period.

About 100 years ago (Taisho 14, 1925)
Driven by a passionate desire to 'leave this for the next generation,' it was reprinted as a metal-type book by Seiichiro Kaneko and others.

As you turn the old pages, the weight of the wisdom that has been carefully passed down like a baton across the ages seems to gently transmit itself to your hands.

This is a baton that our predecessors have been passing on for hundreds of years, risking their lives, with the wish that we 'please live healthy and happy lives.'

I would be happy if I could now take up that baton and become a bridge to gently deliver it to all of you living in the Reiwa era.

From here, let's take a peek at the 'passionate drama' of the predecessors who connected this book.

[Historical Column: Part 1]

💡Yoshiatsu Sugimoto, the Passionate Doctor Who Produced 'Keikenho'

'There is no superficial debate in this book. It is because everything is a 'fact' that the teacher tested himself!'

In the late Edo period, the person who highly praised and released a new edition of a medical book to the world was Yoshiatsu Sugimoto (1780–1826), a Chinese medicine doctor from Iwami Province (western Shimane Prefecture).

1. A Professional Doctor Shaken by Amateur 'Facts'

As a town doctor, Yoshiatsu was troubled by the fact that 'patients in front of me could not be cured by textbook theories.' It was then that he encountered a book written about 100 years earlier.

Surprisingly, the author was not a professional doctor, but the Confucian scholar Ekken Kaibara, famous for 'Yojokun'.

However, it did not contain difficult theories, but only 'living facts' that Ekken had tested himself and found to be truly effective. Yoshiatsu, who was pursuing genuine medicine, had his soul shaken by this realistic knowledge that transcended positions.

2. 'A Treasure of the World' for Everyone

'I must not monopolize this for myself. I want to let everyone read it!'

Moved, Yoshiatsu published a new edition with his own commentary ('Keikenho') in Bunka 8 (1811). This book, filled with his burning passion, continued to be reprinted even after his death, serving as a guide that saved many lives for a long time.

This spirit of Ekken's, which emphasizes experience, would go on to have a major influence on the later spread of 'Yojokun'.

🌐 Recommended Reference Site Introduction

This article was based on the column 'Yojokun Yowa' by Dr. Nobuaki Kaibara, a descendant of Ekken and a surgeon. It is full of deep and interesting explanations, such as the behind-the-scenes story that 'Ekken was not a doctor.' Please take a look!

👉 Igaku-Shoin: Weekly Medical Newspaper 'Yojokun Yowa' (Mr. Nobuaki Kaibara) (Accessed July 2026)

👉 The following literature was also used as a reference.

Kyushu University
[Kyushu University Repository: Ekken Kaibara's Perception of <Disability>: From the Perspective of Yojoron]
Mr. Shinji Takano
(https://catalog.lib.kyushu-u.ac.jp/opac_download_md/7420029/08_p013.pdf) (Accessed July 2026)

Thank you.

[Historical Column: Part 2]

💡1812 and 1925: Two 'Turning Points'

As 'Yojokun' transcends time and space, two particularly important milestones are
'1812 (Bunka 9)'and'1925 (Taisho 14)'.

In fact, these two eras shared a major common characteristic: both were 'major life turning points where society changed drastically'.

1. 1812 (Late Edo Period): Between Maturity and Anxiety

In 1812, when Dr. Yoshiatsu Sugimoto produced the new edition, Edo society was a glamorous era where merchant culture was in full bloom.

However, at the same time, foreign ships began to appear in the waters near Japan, and it was also a period when a sense of anxiety about the future of society began to spread deep in people's hearts.

Amidst the premonition of upheaval, people sought 'the essence of living a healthy life regardless of the external environment (= Yojo)' as a source of emotional support.

2. 1925 (End of the Taisho Period): Regeneration from Upheaval

About 100 years later, in 1925, when 'Yojokun' was reprinted as a typeset book, Japan was in the midst of a major transformation called 'modernization'.

Furthermore, two years prior (1923), an unprecedented disaster called the 'Great Kanto Earthquake' occurred, leaving people with deep physical and emotional wounds.

From the upheaval of shifting from old values to a new era, to recovery from disaster. At this turning point in life, where everyone was forced to deeply re-examine the preciousness of life and how to live, 'Yojokun' was revived by people who had a strong desire that 'this important wisdom must never be lost'.

[Historical Column: Part 3]

💡A Media Revolution Embedded in Text

Looking back at the photo image above, one notices that each character is very beautiful and arranged neatly and regularly.

In fact, this 'beauty of alignment' was the appearance of the new printing technology that became established in the Taisho era: 'printing with metal type (letterpress printing)'.

Here lies the history of a media revolution where books changed from 'valuables passed from hand to hand' to 'treasures that anyone could read'.

🪵 Edo Period 'Woodblock Printing'

The 'Yojokun' of the Edo period (1812), when Dr. Yoshiatsu Sugimoto and his colleagues were active, was printed using a method called 'woodblock printing', where characters were carved in reverse onto a wooden board for an entire page at once.

Because craftsmen carved the characters directly into the wood, books of that time were centered on flowing 'cursive script (brush writing)'.

While it has the warmth and unique flavor of handwriting, it was also a bit of a hurdle, requiring specialized knowledge to read fluently.

⚙️ Taisho Era 'Letterpress Printing'

By the Taisho era (1925), the technology of arranging individual metal 'type' stamps like a puzzle into a square frame to create a printing plate became mainstream.

This technological innovation completely changed the nature of books. By becoming a 'uniform font that is easy for anyone to read', the meaning could be conveyed at a glance, even to those who could not read cursive script.

Words can be delivered in large quantities, accurately, and in a form that anyone can read. It is precisely because of this media revolution in the Taisho era that the wisdom of the Edo period did not remain buried as an obscure antique book, but was able to reach us living in the modern day directly.

Beyond the neatly arranged characters of the Taisho era, the passionate wishes of the people of that time, who hoped that 'as many people as possible would become healthy,' and the progress of technology, are still alive.

Conclusion

For hundreds of years,
the baton passed down by our predecessors at the risk of their lives,
for living healthily

'the baton of health'.

On this blog, 'Koyomi Mina Niwa,' I will be turning the pages of this beloved antique book and carefully delivering wisdom that we can immediately apply to our modern lives, one step at a time.

The first installment of the new corner'Himekuri Yojokun' is here👇
Please come and visit!

In between your daily life,
please join me at your leisure.

Blog 'Koyomi Mina Niwa' Shinsho