Typography was introduced to Japan in the late sixteenth century, and old-type edition of "The Tale of Genji" (ten lines, large characters) was first published during the Keicho period (1596-1615).
なお、16世紀末に活字印刷技法が日本に伝えられ、のち慶長年間になって、はじめて『源氏物語』の古活字版（大字10行本）が刊行された。