I was watching TV without any particular reason when I came across a program that was looking at inventions from around the world.
The program ranked historical inventions, and the printing press came in first place.
Until then, books and other means of communication could only be reproduced by hand, so only a handful of people could afford them. The invention of the printing press was a revelation, as it meant that information could be shared with the whole world at once. Of course, mass reproduction was impossible without access to cheap paper, but even so, the ease of printing compared to the days of hand-copying on expensive parchment was like night and day.
It is said that a printing press came to Japan once during the Warring States period, but it was forgotten after that and then reintroduced at the end of the Edo period. The speed of modernization that followed was nothing short of astonishing. Perhaps it was thanks to the mass-produced information.
Speaking of which, the manga “Orb” was made into an anime by NHK and broadcast until recently, and the printing press was an important point in the final episode. It seems that this manga will also be made into a play, so I’m thinking of going to see it. (Swimmer)
Japan Federation of Printing Industries (Japanese only)