Description

Teizō Esaki (江崎 悌三, 1899–1957), et al.

日本昆蟲圖鑑 Nippon Konchū Zukan
[Iconographia Insectorum Japonicorum, lit. Illustrations of Japanese Insects]

Tokyo: 北隆館 [Hokuryūkann] Shōwa 7 [1932].

8°, blank page, title printed in red and black, 24 chromolithographed colour plates, protected with semi-transparent guards with printed names of insects in Japanese and English, 6 pp., 24 pp., title, 2241 pp. with black and white illustrations, 15 pp, 123 pp., [1 p.], 97 pp., [5 pp.], sheet with an imprint and a red stamp, errata, blank, red stamp on the first blank page. Housed in original box with lettering and decoration on the spine, metal clasps.
(missing wrappers, box reinforced with later paper on corners and red tape around the opening, split in hinges in the rear part of the book, otherwise good).

This monumental, cloth-bound first edition, published in Tokyo in 1932 by Hokuryūkan (北隆館), stands as a definitive masterpiece of Asian entomology. Spanning over 2,400 pages, this massive reference work features meticulously detailed, high-quality monochrome text illustrations documenting more than 4,000 distinct insect species native to Japan, Formosa (Taiwan), and neighboring East Asian territories. The volume is systematically structured with an international scientific approach, displaying exactly two species entries per page. Each entry provides a highly detailed technical drawing alongside its Latin binomial nomenclature and a comprehensive Japanese-text analysis covering morphological traits, behaviors, and precise regional distributions. The book concludes with an extensive dual-index system—97 pages for Latin scientific names and 123 pages for Japanese common names—rendering it a highly functional taxonomic tool for global researchers.

The publication of the Nippon Konchū Zukan in 1932 marked a watershed moment in Japanese natural history, moving regional taxonomy away from fragmented, localized guides toward a unified, internationally standardized encyclopedia. Rather than the work of a single author, this monumental compendium was a massive collaborative achievement bringing together twenty-six of Japan’s leading taxonomic specialists of the early 20th century. Priced at 15 Yen upon its release—a significant sum at the time—it quickly established itself as the indispensable standard reference for regional biodiversity. Its cultural and scientific legacy was so profound that the publisher, Hokuryūkan, continued to update, expand, and reissue the volume for decades, most notably producing the highly sought-after full-color Colore Naturali Edita (Genshoku Konchū Zukan / 原色昆虫図鑑) series in the 1960s. Today, this 1932 first edition is highly prized by collectors as a vital milestone of scientific printing and historical entomology.

Teizō Esaki (江崎 悌三, 1899–1957)

The editorial execution and coordination of this masterwork was directed under the supervision of Professor Teizō Esaki (江崎 悌三), one of Japan’s most brilliant and globally influential entomologists. Born in Fukuoka, Esaki studied at Tokyo Imperial University before conducting extensive research across Europe and the United States, collaborating with leading Western institutions. He later served as a distinguished professor at Kyushu Imperial University (九州帝国大学). Renowned for his vast expertise in Hemiptera (true bugs) and marine insects, Esaki was a pioneering force who bridged the gap between Japanese field research and Western biological sciences. His rigorous academic standards, dedication to international scientific naming conventions, and prolific taxonomy work—which included describing hundreds of newly discovered species—solidified his reputation as a foundational pillar of 20th-century Asian zoology.

References: OCLC 25487930, 33459691, 32391713, 835230417, 122768928, 743374250.