Kibyoshi EnlighteningThe Japanese literary genre known as kibyōshi was primarily seen as a children's comic book. However, after reading some Kibyoshi in depth, one realizes that the Kibyoshi may have a deeper meaning than just the superficial meaning. Kibyoshi are full of content that requires a certain level of sophistication and general knowledge that may be above the average level of children. Kibyoshi has become a means of sociopolitical satire, edocentrism, and commodification, which manifest in subtle allusions in the visual-verbal narrative. Likewise, many Kibyoshi often incorporate different types of Shuko, such as naimaze, fukiyose, and mitate, focusing on common folk tales, current events, or earlier works of Kibyoshi or Kabuki theater. Although a child of the period can understand the general plot and story, it is with additional knowledge of the social and political sphere that he can truly draw out more meaning from Kibyoshi. The Kibyoshi's target audience was most likely mainstream adults. public rather than children. During the Tokugawa period, between 1608 and 1867, Japan's social hierarchy was very stratified, starting with the emperor, then the shogun with his samurai, and finally the people. Common people were further stratified into different social orders, with farmers being the most respected and then artisans and merchants being the lowest class (Bellah, 24). An important facet of life that affected every person in Japan at the time was the influence of religion, which became an obligatory practice with the beginning of Tokugawa rule (Bellah, 51). Even the underlying structure of the social hierarchy of the Tokugawa period was essentially based on neo-......paper circles......and practices. It could be argued that Kibyoshi can be a surprisingly enlightening experience. Works Cited Andreasen, Esben. Popular Buddhism in Japan: Shin Buddhist religion and culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1998. Print. Araki, James, Trans. In Shirane, EMJL, pp. 673-687. Bellah, Robert N. Tokugawa Religion. Simon and Schuster, 2008. Online e-book. Drake, Chris, trans. In Shirane, Ed., EMJL, pp 711-729. Hartz, Paula. Shinto: world religions. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2004. Print. Hoobler, Dorothy and Hoobler, Thomas. Confucianism: world religions. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2004. Print. Sawada, Janine Anderson. Confucian values ​​and popular Zen: Sekimon shingaku in 18th century Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1993. Print. Wangu, Madhu. Buddhism: religions of the world. New York, Facts on File, Inc., 19993.