Ofuda Hakase Frederick Starr

While organizing the vast collection of senshafuda, which I have in my possession for research in Helsinki, I came across a fuda-style print, that seems to be a copy of a letter. The message is signed by Frederick Starr in Tokyo, on March 23th, Taisho 6 (Western calendar year 1918). The Japanese translation of Starr’s handwritten words can be found on the left side of the print.



Frederick Starr (1858-1933) was a professor of anthropology at the University of Chicago. Among other things he is known as an enthusiastic researcher of Japanese culture and life. Starr travelled in Japan multiple times in the early years of 20^th century. He also took part to Shikoku pilgrimage. Probably he was the first foreigner who seriously attempted to visit all the 88 temples on the holy route.

The thing that the letter of gratitude by Starr, written freely at the nosatsu-collectors meeting, was carefully transferred and carved on woodblock, and then printed into several copies, reveals the high appreciation that Japanese people felt towards this American professor. Story goes that people came in cheering crowds to welcome Starr at railway stations when he traveled in the countryside. Such stories may be somewhat exaggerated but the fact remains that Starr was truly well-liked among Japanese people. He seems to have adjusted seamingly with the Japanese daily manners. A Japanese writer who knew Starr noted in his article that "Starr is no different from the Japanese, having a bath, eating sashimi and miso... and can even sit properly on the tatami."

Frederick Starr had various research projects while in Japan. The one for which he is best known is his study of senshafuda (senjafuda), woodblock printed votive slips, which originally were produced for pilgrims as personal name tags to be pasted on temple gates and pillars. The nick name Ofuda Hakase, meaning “Doctor of Fuda” or “Fuda Professor” in English, comes from Starr’s notably strong interest in fuda-prints.

In the latter half of the 19^th century senshafudas developed into beautiful multicolour artworks with widely ranging motifs and large scale themes. They were designed by professional artists and were executed as woodblock prints by highly skilled artisans. The fuda-collectors formed groups that gathered in regular Nosatsu-kai meetings to exchange their prints. Starr probably attended in many of those gatherings. The activity of fuda-collector groups reached its peak during the first decades of the 20th century, but the tradition has not completely faded. Small Nosatsu-kai meetings still take place in Tokyo. They have even made a present-day fuda-print of Frederick Starr! You can find it and other interesting collector’s info at  http://www.geocities.jp/edoutako_y/ (in Japanese)

I am anxious to know more about Starr and his relationship with Japan. I wonder if there are such keen fuda-collectors in the West nowadays?

Left: Another interesting fuda-style woodblock print carrying Starr’s name. Estimating by the appearance of the lettering and variation in the thickness of lines, the original writing was written with an ink brush. This one is a thank-you note, too. The print is signed by Maebashi Hanbei, Starr’s regular interpreter, who accompanied him in all his travels.











Fuda-prints in this blog:  Sumio Yamazaki Collection, Kyoto
Link to F.Starr in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Starr
Other references: David C. Moreton, An Account of the Shikoku Pilgrimage by Frederick Starr. Article in The Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, vol. 19 / 2005