Using the Mirador image viewer

The Kyōto Komonjo scrolls can be viewed using the Mirador image viewer. This allows you to examine the full area of the scrolls themselves, along with annotations.

Viewing the scroll

When you load the scroll, you will first see a zoomed-out view of the entire scroll image and then be taken to the section of introductory text at its beginning. To pan across the scroll, click and drag the scroll image, or use your keyboard’s arrow keys.  You can also click anywhere on the scroll to zoom in, or use the scroll wheel on your mouse for more precise control.

Viewing annotations

Areas of the scroll that have been annotated will be highlighted by a rectangular border. Clicking the object or text within the border will open the annotations window.

Clicking on a line of handwritten Japanese script will allow you to access a typewritten transcription of that line, as well as translations of the entire passage of text  into both modern Japanese and English.

You can adjust the size of each section of the annotation window by clicking and dragging on the borders to expand or shrink them. This can be especially helpful when comparing the handwritten text with its typewritten transcription.

Other elements of the scroll will have more general annotations, providing additional information not available on the scroll itself.

If you wish to view the scroll without annotated areas highlighted, click the button with the eye icon. To close the annotations for a selected item, click the button with an icon of a text bubble. You can click the full-screen button to make the viewer take up your entire browser window.