Shinkirō, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Shinkirō is a two-page composition in Sekien’s Konjaku Hyakki Shūi, headed 蜃気楼 on the second page. The first page gives a large shell-like creature among waves and rocks. A broad curving column rises from it toward a distant settlement. Across the facing page, that pale enclosure contains towers, bridges, tiled roofs, and trees, while small shellfish occupy the foreground shore. Facing page directly inspected as well. Caption label checked at enlarged resolution.
Overview
Shinkirō is a two-page composition in Sekien’s Konjaku Hyakki Shūi, headed 蜃気楼 on the second page. The first page gives a large shell-like creature among waves and rocks. A broad curving column rises from it toward a distant settlement. Across the facing page, that pale enclosure contains towers, bridges, tiled roofs, and trees, while small shellfish occupy the foreground shore.
The caption links the architectural vision to the creature called shin and cites the astronomical chapter of the Shiji. This is an illustrated literary explanation of a mirage, not a biological account of a real clam’s respiration. The two pages are needed together: a crop of the buildings alone could conceal the creature that organizes the scene. The profile therefore covers Sekien’s supernatural shell being and its emitted vision, keeping the natural atmospheric phenomenon distinct from the imagined cause.
Origins & earliest records
Japan; Toriyama Sekien’s illustrated collection; Chinese literary reference in caption
Records & interpretation
Directly inspected labelled primary woodblock plate; descriptive claims limited to this witness.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Konjaku Hyakki Shūi
Inspected Smithsonian digitization; image canvas index 10 (zero-based, not printed page number).
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Konjaku Hyakki Shūi
HyakkishuYiV1Tori. Label 蜃気楼; IIIF canvas index 10 and 9 (two-page spread); zero-based scan locator, not printed pagination
Shinkirō is a two-page composition in Sekien’s Konjaku Hyakki Shūi, headed 蜃気楼 on the second page. The first page gives a large shell-like creature among waves and rocks. A broad curving column rises from it toward a distant settlement. Across the facing page, that pale enclosure contains towers, bridges, tiled roofs, and trees, while small shellfish occupy the foreground shore. Facing page directly inspected as well. Caption label checked at enlarged resolution.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary illustrated sourceKonjaku Hyakki Shūi digitized primary plate 蜃気楼Research access: 2026-10-05
- Institutional catalogSmithsonian Libraries digitized volumeResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationShinkirō, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Shinkirō is a two-page composition in Sekien’s Konjaku Hyakki Shūi, headed 蜃気楼 on the second page. The first page gives a large shell-like creature among waves and rocks. A broad curving column rises from it toward a distant settlement. Across the facing page, that pale enclosure contains towers, bridges, tiled roofs, and trees, while small shellfish occupy the foreground shore. Facing page directly inspected as well. Caption label checked at enlarged resolution.
