Ukiyo-e Prints

浮世絵版画

Port Townsend, Washington

PUBLISHERS

N TO Z

To go to our other publishers pages click on the stamps below

A thru G

H thru J

K thru M

CLICK ON THE IMAGES OF THE PRINTS SHOWN BELOW

TO SEE LARGER EXAMPLES.

PUBLISHER

KANJI

KANA

LOCATION

EXAMPLE

SEAL

Nishimura-ya Yohachi

(aka Eijūdō)

7 variants shown

西村屋

与八

にしむらや

よはち

The bottom half of the publisher's seal is not shown  here, but the top part of it appears on the trimmed lower edge of this print.  Below is a full example from a different print.

We know that this seal was

 being used in ca. 1782 into1807.

Bunchō, Eishi, Eizan,

Hiroshige,

Hokkei, Hokuju, as both Shunrō & Hokusai, Kiyomine, Kiyomitsu, Kiyomitsu II, Kiyonaga, Koryūsai, Kuninao, Kunisada,

 Kuniyoshi, Shigemasa

Shikimaro, Shunchō, Shun'ei, Shungyō, Shunman,  Shunzan,  Toyoharu, Toyohiro, Toyokuni I, Toyokuni II,  Toyoshige, Utamaro

& Utamaro II

Active as early as 1708-10

to as late as 1834 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the  dates of ca. 1750 to 1850 for this publisher

On the right is a variation of the Nishimura-ya Yohachi seal, but this one is composed solely of the single mountain motif  over the tomoe symbol sans the character cartouche below.

We know that this seal was

 being used as early as ca. 1770-72

to as late as 1825-30

as found on a Toyokuni II triptych.

The print shown to the right dated ca. 1815 is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information.  Generously provided to us by Dede and Bruce H.

The seal to the right appeared on

a Kiyomitsu I print in ca. 1770.

We know that this seal to the right was used on prints published as early as ca. 1770 to as late as 1784.

It appears on a 1776 Koryûsai print with a seal of Tsutaya Jûzaburô, too.

 The seal to the right appeared on a

Hiroshige print in ca. 1832-4.

The seal to the right appeared on a

Kiyonaga print from ca. 1781.

The seal to the right appeared on an

Okura Masanobu print in ca. 1708-10.

This pushed out dating back by about 55 years.

This seal - to the right -was used

on a Kiyonaga print in ca. 1778.

Nuno Kichi

布吉

ぬの

きち

Edo

Toyokuni III

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information.  The image was sent to us from our contributor ED.  We are grateful for this addition to our site.

Possibly as early as 1830 or earlier and as late as 1848 or later

Ōmi-ya Heihachi

近江屋

平八

おうみや

へいはち

Edo

Eisen, Eizan,

Kunisada, Kuniyasu,

Kuniyoshi, Shunkō

& Toyokuni II

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. An anonymous correspondent has been kind enough to let us display it.

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the dates of 1804-44 for this publisher

Ōmi-ya Yohei

おうみや

よへえ

Edo

Toyokuni III

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. An anonymous correspondent has been kind enough to let us display it.

This has been offered as an alternate name for the publisher Sano-ya Kihei. (See that entry below.)

Ōta-ya Takichi

(aka Hori Takichi)

4 variants shown

太田屋

多吉

おおたや

たきち

Edo/Tokyo

 Kuniaki,

Kunichika,

as Kunisada & Toyokuni III, Kunisada II, Yoshiiku,

Yoshimori & Yoshitora

Edo

To the right is an alternative

seal for Ōta-ya Takichi.

To the right is another alternative

seal for Ōta-ya Takichi.

Sano-ya Kihei

(aka Kikakudō, Sanoki

 & Omi-ya Yohei)

3 variants shown

佐野屋

喜兵衛

さのや
きへえ

Edo

Eisen, Eizan, Hiroshige, Hokkei,

as Kunisada & as Toyokuni III, Kuniteru II, Kuniyoshi, Sadahide, Shunsen, & Yoshikazu

As early as ca. 1806 or earlier

to as late as 1861 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the earliest date of ca. 1716 for this publisher

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. The image  has been sent to us from a private collection. We are grateful for this contribution to our site.

Sano-ya Tomigorō

(aka Kinseidō)

佐野屋

富五郎

さのや

とみごろう

Edo

Hiroshige II, Kuniaki II,

Kunichika,

Toyokuni III, Yoshiiku,

Yoshimori, Yoshitora

& Yoshitsuya

This print has a seal we have not offered

yet. It was sent to us by our great

contributor Eikei  (英渓) .

As early as 1855 or earlier

to as late as 1868 or later

Senri

千里

せんり 

Edo

(or Osaka)

Shimizu

2 variants shown

清水

しみず

Edo

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna says that this seal was also used by the publisher Mikawa-ya from ca. 1804 to 1818. I find this information a bit confusing and hope we can clear it up in time.

Eisen, Eizan,

Hiroshige, Kunimitsu,

Kunisada, Kuniyoshi,

Toyohiro,  Toyokuni I

& Toyokuni II

As early as 1804 or earlier to as late as ca. 1830 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the end date of ca. 1840 for this publisher

To the left is another seal used by this publisher.

Shimizu-ya Naōjirō

清水屋

直次郎

しみずやなおじろう

Edo

Kunisada II,

Kuniyoshi, Toyokuni III,

Yoshimune & Yoshitora

As early as 1843 or earlier

to as late as 1868 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the earliest date of ca. 1801 for this publisher

Shimizu-ya

Tsunejirō

2 variants shown

清水屋

常次郎じんすけ

しみずや

つねじろう

Edo

Fusatane or Hideteru ?,

Kuniteru,

Toyokuni III & Yoshitsuya

As early as 1847 or earlier

to as late as 1860 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the earliest date of ca. 1830 for this publisher

The triptych shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has an alternate publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. This image has been sent to us from the Michi Trading Company of Houston, Texas . We are grateful for this contribution to our site.

Sumimaru-ya Jinsuke

角丸屋?

甚助?

すみまるや

じんすけ

Edo

Hokusai, Kunimaru,

Toyokuni I, possibly Utamaro

 & Utamaro II

 Active 1801 to 1834?

Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorō

住吉屋

政吾郎

すみよしや

まさごろう

Edo

Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi

& Toyokuni III

As early as 1847

to as late as 1852 or later

Takemura Hideo

竹村
秀雄

たけむらひでお

Tokyo

There is no link to this

Hodo print shown above.

Tama-ya Sōsuke

玉屋

想助

たまや

そうすけ

Edo/Tokyo

Kuniyoshi, Toyokuni III,

Yoshifuji, Yoshiiku,

Yoshikazu, & Yoshitoshi

As early as 1847

to as late as 1869 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the dates of ca. 1845-70 for this publisher

Tenki

(aka Tenmaya Kihei)

天喜

てんき

Osaka

Ashiyuki, Hironobu,

Hirosada, Hokucho,

Hokuei, Hokusetsu,

Hokushū, Kiyokuni,

Kunhiro, Nobuharu,

Nobuhiro, Nobukatsu,

Nobumasa, Sadahiro,

Sadamasu, Sadanobu, 

Sadayoshi,  Shibakuni,

Shigeharu, Shigenao,

Toshikuni, Toyohide,

Umekuni & Yoshikuni

As early as 1823 to as late as ca. 1835 or later

Note; There are several variant seals for this publisher. We will add them as they become available.

Toshin

(aka Tokura-ya Shinbei)

利倉屋

新兵衛

としくらや

しんべえ

Osaka

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information.  This was contributed by my friend Mike.

One more point: This print is often

shown without any publisher's

seal at all.

As early as 1815 to

as late as 1828 or later

Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke

(aka Kinshōdō)

3 variants shown

辻岡屋

文助

つじおかや
ぶんすけ

Edo

There is no link to this

Kuniyoshi print shown above.

Fusatane, Ginko, Hirokage,

Hiroshige II, Hiroshige III,

Kuniaki II, Kunichika,

Kunihisa II, Kunisada II,

Kunisato, Kunitaka,

Kuniteru, Kuniyoshi, Kyōsai,

Nobukazu, Sadahide, Toshihide,
Toyokuni III, Yoshiharu,

Yoshiiku, Yoshikazu,

Yoshimitsu, Yoshimune,

Yoshitoshi & Yoshitsuya

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. The image  has been sent to us from the Eikei (英渓) Collection. We are grateful for this contribution to our site

This example comes from a different  print than the one being shown.

To the right is an alternative

seal for Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke.

Tsuji-ya Yasubei

辻安

Edo

Fusatane, Hiroshige,

Hiroshige II,

Kunihisa II, Kunimori,

Kunimori II,

as Kunisada & Toyokuni III,

Kuniyoshi, Hōrai Shunshō,

 Yoshitora & Yoshitsuna

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information.  The image was sent to us from our contributor ED.  We are grateful for this addition to our site.

As early as the 1830s or earlier

to as late as 1862 or later

Tsunashima Kamekichi

綱島
亀吉

つなしまかめきち

Tokyo

Beisaku, Chikanobu,

Hiroshige III, Kunimatsu,

Nobukazu, Seisai, Yoshiiku,

Yoshitora & Yoshitoshi

As early as 1869 or earlier

to as late as 1904 or later

Tsunoi

津伊

つのい

Tokyo

Kunichika & Yoshitoshi

Active in 1868/69

The carver Hori Chō worked on blocks for Kunichika for this publisher in 1868.

Tsuru-ya Kiemon

(aka Senkakudō)

鶴屋

喜右衛門

つるや

きえもん

Edo

Chōki, Eizan,

Hiroshige, Hokusai,

Kiyoharu, Kiyomasa,

Kiyomasa II, Kiyomasu II,

Kiyomine, Kiyonaga,

Kiyonobu II,

Kunisada, Kunimasa,

 Kuniyoshi, Masanobu,

Masayoshi, Sadahide,

 Sadakage,  Shunchō,

Shun'ei, Shunsen,

Shunsho, Toyokuni I,

Toyonobu,

Utamaro & Utamaro II

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. The image  has been sent to us from the Eikei (英渓) Collection. We are grateful for this contribution to our site

As early as ca. 1716 or earlier to as late as ca. 1840 or later

An anonymous contributor has sent us this book illustration by Hasegawa Settan which shows the front and interior of  the shop of Tsuru-ya Kiemon.

Click on the image ot see a page with a larger detail.

This is not the publisher's seal, but rather one of their logos.

The image to the right by Toyokuni I gives and alternate seal which we have not offered yet. This was contributed to this site by my friend Mike.

Click on the image ot see a page with a larger detail.

Tsuta-ya Jūzaburō

(aka Shokodō, Kōshodō &

Kōshodō Shujin

& Tsutajū)

蔦屋

重三郎   

つたや

じゅうざ

ぶろう

Edo

Chōki, Eishi, Fusanobu,

Harumachi, Hiroshige, Hokuba,

as both Sori &Hokusai,

Kiyomasa, Kiyomitsu,

Kiyonaga, Koryūsai, Kunimaru,

as both Kunisada &

 Toyokuni III, Kunimasa, 

Kuniyasu, Kuniyoshi,

Masanobu, Masayoshi,

Sharaku, Shunchō, Shun'ei,

Shunman, Shunshō

Toyokuni I, Toyokuni II,

 & Utamaro

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. An anonymous correspondent has been kind enough to let us display it.

Started publishing in 1774

and continued to as late as

1847-52 or later

(This last date is from a seal

found on a Toyokuni III

triptych in the Boston MFA.)

"Tsuta-ya Jūzaburō is notable for having established a commanding and innovative presence in the Edo publishing world. He... is credited with 'the gift of discovering genius', particularly that of Utamaro. At various times he offered lodgings to Kyokutei Bakin, Santō Kyōden and Utamaro.... Tsuta-ya Jūzaburō... was born in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter in 1750. [He died in 1797.] In 1773 opened a bookshop at the entrance to the quarter selling the guidebooks, or Yoshiwara saiken, published by the firm of Urokogataya Magobee, which had been in business since 1660. The following year he launched his career as a publisher with a courtesan critique, and in 1775 he produced his own guide to the Yoshiwara. In doing so he was probably taking advantage of the fact that Urokogataya Magobee was at the time beset by problems connected with a copyright infringement case..." For years Tsutajū competed head to head with Urokogataya for the Yoshiwara saiken market. Urokogataya lingered on until 1803 when they ceased publishing. "Well before this, however, he had begun to branch out, employing artists such as Katsukawa Shunshō to illustrate his guidebooks, and from 1776, publishing illustrated books on haikai poetry, ehon and sharebon." In 1783 he moved away from the Yoshiwara to a larger and permanent home.

In the 1780s he published poetry and light fiction, but in 1791 the new conservative government came down hard on him. "In that year, he published three of Santō Kyōden's sharebon. These were subsequently made an example of by the new régime in power... with the result that not only was Kyōden punished but also Tsutajū, who had gone through the correct procedures to gain permission to publish, had half his wealth confiscated, and the gyōji, or guild officials, were banished from Edo." After this Tsutajū left the guild he was working with and "...joined the guild of 'serious books'." Supposedly he did this more for financial reasons - he could now raise new capital to replace some of what he had been fined - than to clean up his act. "...the main focus of his activity in the early 1790s was actually not 'serious' publishing, but single sheet ukiyoe prints of beauties and actors by Utamaro, Sharaku and others." In 1794 he bought up the blocks for some illustrated books published by others, moved their seals and put his own on them. In 1796 he came out with his own new original publication in this field. "Although the firm survived for some years under the chief clerk, it lacked the entrepreneurial energy that had propelled it from obscurity..."

Source and quotes from: The Book in Japan: A Cultural History from the Beginnings to the Nineteenth Century by Peter Kornicki.

Tsuta-ya Kichizō

(aka Kōeidō)

蔦屋
吉蔵

つたや
きちぞう

Edo

Hiroshige II, Ikkei

Kunisada II, Kunikiyo,

Kuniteru, Kuniyasu,

Kuniyoshi, Sadatora,

Senchō, Sūgakudō,

 Toyokuni III, Yoshitora,

Yoshitoshi,

Yoshitsuru I & Yoshitsuya

As early as ca. 1821 or earlier to as late as 1865 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the earliest date of ca. 1801 for this publisher.  A new end date of at least 1871 has been offered.

  Uemura Yohei

上村

与兵衛

うえむら

よへえ

Edo

Kiyonobu II, Kunimaru, Kunimasa,

Kunisada, Kunitora, Kuniyasu,

Kuniyoshi, Shun'ei,

Toyokuni I & Utamaro

The print is shown courtesy of my friend Mike. I am truly grateful.

As early as ca. 1753 or earlier

to as late as 1825 or later

Uo-ya Eikichi

2 variants shown

魚屋
栄吉

うおや
えいきち

Edo

There is no link to the

Toyokuni III print shown above.

Hiroshige, Hiroshige II,

Kunisada II, Toyokuni III

& Yoshimori

As early as 1855 or earlier to

as late as 1864 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the dates of ca. 1845-68 for this publisher

Wakasa-ya Yoichi

(aka Jakurindō)

2 variants shown

若狹屋

与市

わかさや
よいち

Edo

There is no link to the

Hiroshige II print shown above.

Eisen, Eishi, Eishō, Eizan,

Hiroshige, Hiroshige II,

Kagehide II, Kiyonaga,

Kuniaki II, Kunichika,

Kunihisa II,

Kunisada II,

Kunitomo, Kuniyasu,

Kuniyoshi,

Kyōsai, Sadahide,

Sadakage, Shunchō,

Shun'ei, Shunman, Shunsen,  Toyohiro, Toyokuni I,

Toyokuni III, Utamaro

& Yoshitsuna

As early as ca. 1789 to as late as 1867 or later

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. It is the right-hand panel of a triptych. To see the full image click on it.

It has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. The image  has been sent to us from the Eikei (英渓)   Collection. We are grateful for this contribution to our site

Wata-ya
Kihei
(aka Wataki &

Kinzuido)

2 variants shown

綿屋

喜兵衛

わたやきへえ

Osaka

Ashihiro,

Ashisato,

Ashiyuki, Kagematsu, Nagahide, Nagakuni, Sadamasa,

Sadanobu,

 Sadayoshi, Shibakuni, Shigeharu, Tamikuni, Toyohide & Yoshikuni

We know of at least 25 variant seals used by this publisher. Some of them could be grouped together according to specific motives, but others are considerably different from those shown here.

To the right is an alternative

seal for Wata-ya Kihei.

To the right is another alternative

seal for Wata-ya Kihei. It was sent to

us by our great contributor Eikei (英渓).

The image is trimmed on the right side

of the print. We will add the image when

or if it is made available to us.

Osaka

Ya

(aka Matsuba-ya)

We are using Schwaab's identification for this publisher. We have been unable to find corroborative information so far.

 Other scholars, such as Murashige Narazaki, list this seal as unidentified.

屋

や

Osaka

Yahata-ya Sakujirō
(*There are several alternate readings for this publisher's name.

One source refers to it as Hachimanya Sakujirō. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts refers to this publisher as Yawataya Sakujirō.)

八幡屋
作次郎

やはたや
さくじろう

Edo

Kuniyoshi & Toyokuni III

As early as 1843 or earlier to

as late as 1852 or later

Yamada-ya Shōjirō

山田屋

庄次郎

やまだや

しょうじろう

Edo

Eisen, Eizan, Hiroshige,

Hiroshige II, Kunihisa II,

Kunisada II,

Kuniyoshi, Sadahide,

Sekkyō,

 Toyokuni III & Yoshitora

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. The image  has been sent to us from ED. We are grateful for this contribution to our site.

Possibly as early as

ca. 1809-13 or earlier to

as late as 1860 or later

Yamaguchi-ya Tōbei

(aka Kinkōdō)
 2 variants shown

山口屋

藤兵衛
(錦耕堂)

やまぐや

とうべえ
(きんこうどう)

Edo

Eisen, Eizan, Gengyo,

Hiroshige, Hiroshige II,

Kuniaki I, Kuniaki II,

Kunimaro, Kunimasa III,

as Kunisada & as Toyokuni III, Kunisada II, Kunitomi,

Kuniyasu, Kuniyoshi,

Sadahide, Sadakage,

Sadatora, Shun'ei, Shuntei,

Toyokuni I, Toyokuni II,

Tsukimaro,

Utamaro, Utamaro II,

Yoshifuji, Yoshiharu,

Yoshiiku, Yoshimasa,

Yoshitora, Yoshitoro-jo

& Yoshitoshi

Yamamoto-ya Heikichi
(aka Eikyūdō and aka Yamamoto Kyūbei)

山本屋

平吉

やまもとや

へいきち

Edo

There is no link to the

Kunisada print shown above.

Eisen, Eizan, Hiroshige, Hokuju,

possibly Kiyonobu II,

 Kunichika, Kunihisa, Kuninao, Kuniharu, 

as both Kunisada

& Toyokuni III,

Kunisada II,

Kuniteru II,  Kunitora, Kunitsuna, Kuniyoshi, Sadahide,

Shuntei,

Toyokuni I, Toyokuni II & Yoshifusa

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the earliest date of ca. 1804 for this publisher.

Yamashiro-ya

Jinbei

(Frank Turk identifies this publisher as Yamashiroya Kambei)

山城屋甚兵衛

やましろうや

じんべえ

Edo

Hiroshige, Hiroshige II,

Kunimasa IV, Kunisada II,

 Kuniyoshi,  Sadahide,

Toyokuni III,

Yoshiiku, Yoshikazu, Yoshitora,

Yoshitsuna & Yoshitsuya

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. The image  has been sent to us from a private collection. We are grateful for this contribution to our site.

As early as ca. 1830 to as late as

1867 or later

Yamato-ya

Kyūbei

大和屋

久兵衛

やまとや

きゅうべえ

Edo

Kuniyoshi

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. However, it has a publisher's seal which we want to display for your information. The image  has been sent to us from a private collection. We are grateful for this contribution to our site.

As early as ca. 1848

to as late as 1855 or later

So far, after much searching, Kuniyoshi is still the only artist who seems to have worked with this publisher - and even there there are only a couple of examples with this seal.  There was one reference to a Toyohiro print I found, but that was dated from the first years of the 19th century which leaves too great of a time a gap for the probability that this is the same publishing house.

Yorozu-ya Magobei

 萬屋

孫兵衛

よろずや.まごべい

Tokyo

Hiroshige II, Hiroshige III,

Ikkei, possibly Ikumaru

Kunichika, Kuniteru,

Yoshitoshi & possibly Yoshiiku

Active as early as 1869 to as late as 1874 or later

The Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna gives the earliest date of ca. 1845 for this publisher.