Signal Books

An interesting system of colour-coding came about. Red-coloured akahon appeared in the latter years of the Genroku. Written in cursive script and generously illustrated, these were collections of stories aimed at women and children. They were followed by kurohon, black-covered books containing embroidered accounts of historical tales, heroic deeds and lurid ghost and revenge stories. Aohon were blue books representing scenes from everyday life. Last to appear were the yellow-covered, kibyoshibon books. The authors of these more realistic works, often written in the vernacular and alluding to current gossip and scandals or ostracizing the ideas of Confucian moralists, were more likely to run foul of the censors, though banned books were of