A biographical investigation of Tonami no Imamichi

The purpose of this paper is the biographical investigation of Tonami no Imamichi (1722-1805), lived in mid-Edo period as a literary person and a Japanese lacquer artist. To draw his biography, this paper adopts a chronological investigation. The previous research has almost only cleared that he is one of Ueda Akinari’s friends, and his few works. So, this paper aimed to research his whole active: Haiku poetry, Chinese poetry, Japanese poetry, classic research, phonemenology, Japanese lacquer works, and so on. Firstly, I introduced newly discovered material “Ikadai jinemon kyuki”. It reports that Imamichi’s date and place of birth, and youth days. Secondly, I placed him in cultural history of the Edo period in the Kyoto-Osaka area, through the researching of his works, literary acquaintance, and school. Thirdly, I researched his Japanese lacquer works to make complete lists of his products: portable shinnies in Takaoka city and surrounding areas and etc. In addiction, I rearranged problem: how should be identified his lacquer works. And I did examination of the relationship between his lacquer and literary works. Fourthly, I pointed out possibility that he had an influence on literary circles in Takaoka. From these examination, I placed his lacquer and literary works on the cultural and lacquerware history in Edo period.