Ukiyo-e Prints

浮世絵版画

formerly Port Townsend, Washington

now Kansas City, Missouri

PUBLISHERS

Wakasaya to Z

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

A thru Ebiya

Echizenya thru G

H thru Imariya Ushizō

Ise Mago thru J

K thru Kyōji

Maruya thru Murataya

N thru S

T thru Uoya

CLICK ON THE IMAGES OF THE PRINTS SHOWN BELOW

TO SEE LARGER EXAMPLES.

PUBLISHER

KANJI

KANA

LOCATION

EXAMPLE

SEAL

ARTISTS

DATES

Wakasaya Jingorō

(Seal name -

Wakajin 若甚)

Marks #572

若狹屋甚五郎

わかさや.じんごろう

Edo/ Tokyo

The Kunichika print to

the right is from the

collection of the

Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston.

This exact seal is not

in Marks, but it is closest

to #23-036.

Hiroshige III,

Kunichika,

Kunisada II

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1866 to 1875

Hori Take carved for them

in 1858.

Wakasaya Yoichi

(Seal name -

Wakayo 若与,  

firm name -

Jakurindō 若林堂,

family name -

Yamamoto Yoichi  山本与市)

Marks #573

若狹屋

与市

わかさや
よいち

Edo/Tokyo

There is no link to the

Hiroshige II print shown above.

This seal is closest

to #07-008. Marks

gives the dates of the

1790s to 1850s.

Eisen ( b), Eishi,

Eishō, Eizan,

Hiroshige, Hiroshige II,

Hiroshige III,

Hokusai,

Kagehide II, Kiyonaga,

Kuniaki II, Kunichika,

Kunihisa II,

  Kuninobu (b),

Kunisada II, Kunisato,

Kuniteru II,

Kunitomo, Kuniyasu,

Kuniyoshi,

Kyōsai, Sadahide,

Sadakage, Sadamine,

Sadatora, Senchō (b),

Shunchō,

Shun'ei,

Shunkō II

(Shunsen b),

Shunman, 

 Toyoharu,

Toyohiro, Toyokuni I,

Toyokuni III, Utamaro,

Yoshimaru (b),

Yoshitora, Yoshitsuna

A (b) means as a
 book illustrator sometimes
along with woodblock prints.

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1794 to ca. 1897

Horikō Fusajirō worked as

a carver for this house on

Hiroshige prints in the

mid to late 1840s.

"In 1807, he became a member of the Picture Book and Print Publishers Guild (Jihon toiya). In 1811 and 1812 he was one of the print censors." Later the firm belonged to the Guild of Fan Producers or Uchiwa toiya. "Beginning in 1876, publications appeared under the family name of Yamamoto Yoichi." Quote from: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900 by Andreas Marks, p. 222.

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.

The image  has been sent to us from the Eikei (英渓)  Collection. We are grateful for this contribution to our site

Marks seal #23-034

Marks gives the dates

of late 1851-64.

Wakau

 Marks #U366

Edo

The Kunisada print

to the right comes

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image

to see more information.

Kunimori II, Kunisada,

Kuniyoshi, Yoshikazu,

Yoshitsuya

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as ca. 1842-50

Wataya
Kihei
(Seal name -

Wataki 綿喜;

firm name - Kinzuidō 金随堂;

family name - Maeda Kihei 前田喜兵衛)

Marks #579

綿屋

喜兵衛

わたやきへえ

Osaka

There is no link to the

Nagakuni print shown above.

Ashihiro,

Ashisato,

Ashiyuki, Kagematsu,

Kunihiro, Kunimaru,

Nagahide,

Hokuei, Hokushu,

Nagakuni, Sadamasa,

Sadanobu,

 Sadayoshi, Shibakuni,

Shigeharu, Shunchō,

Tamikuni, Toyohide,

 Yoshikuni

Andreas Marks

gives the dates as

 ca. 1726-1885

Hori Toyo carved a

Sadanobu landscape print

in the early 1850s.

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.

The Hokuei print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image to see more information.

This seal is closest to

#12-053, but is not in

Marks.

The Hokuei print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image to see more information.

Marks seal #12-008

The Hokuei print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image to see more information.

Marks seal #12-007

 The Shigeharu print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image to see more information.

Marks seal #25-056

Marks notes that this seal

was used between  the

1827-28.

The Nagahide diptych to

the right is from the
Lyon Collection.

Click on it to see

more information.

Above is a diptych by Shigeharu.

There is no page linked to this image.

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.

The Ashiyuki print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image to see more information.

Marks seal #12-053

Marks notes that this seal

was used between  the

1824-25.

The Shigeharu print shown
to the right is from
the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image
to see more information.

This seal is not in
Marks.

The Sadanobu  print from

the early 1850s shown
to the right is from
the Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston.

This seal is not in

Marks.

The 1825 Ashiyuki  print

to the right is from the

collection of Waseda

University.

This seal is listed

in Marks under the

heading U502,

seal #30-020. However,

we know that the

publisher was Wataya

Kihei.

The seal to the right which

is often listed as being that of

Ariwaradō Chūbei is actually by

that house along with that of 

Wataya Kihei.

Ya

(aka Matsubaya)

Marks #U370

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

Hokuei

Ca. 1833

Yahataya 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.)

Marks #581

八幡屋作次郎
 

やはたや
さくじろう

Edo

Marks seal #01-020

Marks notes that this seal

was used from 1844-55.

Hiroshige,

Kunimori II, Kuniteru,

Kuniyoshi,

Sadahide, Sadahiro,

Toyokuni III, Yoshifuji, 

Yoshikatsu, Yoshimaru

Yoshitora, Yoshitsuna

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as ca. 1844-53

The carver Hori Shōji
worked for this
publisher in 1852.

Hori Takichi and

Hori Sen both worked
for this house on
Kuniyoshi prints in 1852.
Hori Sen carved a

Yoshimori print in 1861.

The print to the right is the

center panel from a

Kunisada triptych in

the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #19-038

Marks does not specify

any dates for this

particular seal.

The print to the right is the

center panel from a

Kuniyoshi triptych in

the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #02-060

Marks notes that this seal

was used from 1845-48.

The Kuniteru print to the right

is from the collection of

the Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston.

Marks seal #22-079

Marks only gives the date of

1828 for the use of this seal.

However, the museum in

Boston dates the print to the

left as from ca. 1843-47.

 Yamadaya Sanshirō

(firm names - Manshundō -

万春堂 and Sanrindō -

山林堂, family name -

Nakano Sanshirō -

中野三四郎)

Marks #584

山田屋三四郎

やまだや

さんしろう

Edo

The print to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Marks seal #20-018

Marks notes that this seal

was used from the

1790-1811.

Chōki, Eizan,

Harukawa Eishō (b),

Isomaru, Shunchō,

Shunkō II

(Shunsen  b),

Shunzan,

Toyohiro (  b),

Toyokuni I (  b),

 Utamaro

A (b) means as a
 book illustrator sometimes
along with woodblock prints.

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1690-1811

Yamadaya Shōbei

(Seal name - Yamashō 山庄,

firm name -

Kinkyōdō 錦橋堂)

Marks #585

山田屋

庄兵衛

やまだや

しょうべい

Edo

The print to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #01-070

Marks notes that this seal

was used from 1828-51.

Eisen, Eizan, Hiroshige,

Kunimaro, Kunimaru,

Kunisada, Kunisada II,

Kuniteru, Kuniyasu,

Sadahide, Shunchō,

Shunkō,

Yoshitora, Yoshitsuya

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as late ca. 1789 to 1851

The diptych to the
right is from the collection
at Arizona State University.

Click on it to go
to their page.

This seal is not in Marks.

The Shunchō print to

the right is from the

collection of the

Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston.

Marks seal #08-074

Marks dates this

seal to 1789.

Yamadaya Shōjirō

(Seal name - Yamashō 山庄,

firm name - Kinkyōdō 錦橋堂)

Marks #586

山田屋

庄次郎

やまだや

しょうじろう

Edo

The print shown to the right is not one we have offered. The image  has been sent to us from ED. We are grateful for this contribution to our site.

Marks seal #21-138

Marks notes that this seal

was used from 1852-58.

 Hiroshige,

Hiroshige II, Kunihisa II,

Kunisada II,

Kunitsuna (aka Kuniteru II)

Kuniyoshi, Sadahide,

Sekkyō,

 Toyokuni III & Yoshitora

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as late 1851 to ca. 1866

Hori Take worked for

this house from 1855-62.

"As early as 1789, the publisher Yamadaya Shōbei issued woodblock prints..." Then "In late 1851, a change in leadership of the business caused a name change and Yamadaya Shōbei became Yamadaya Shōjirō, continuing however to use the same publisher seals." This firm did so well that by the 4th month of 1852 it was able to take over the publishing house of Tsutaya Juzaburō." Source and quotes from: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900, by Andreas Marks, p. 300.

Yamaguchiya Chūsuke

 (Also referred to as

Yamaguchiya Chūemon.

However, this does not

appear in Marks.)

Marks #590

山口屋

忠助

やまぐや

ちゅうすけ

Edo

The print to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #05-001

Eiri, Eishi, Eishō, Eiu,

Hokusai, Ikku, Kunimasa,

  Masanobu (b),

Shūchō, Shundō,

Shushō,

Toyokuni I (  b),

Tsukimaro (   b),

 Utamaro I,

Utamaro II

A (b) means as a
 book illustrator sometimes
along with woodblock prints.

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1793 to 1809.

There is a pillar print

by Shushō in the

Museum of Fine Arts

in Boston which they

date to the 1770s.

It is clearly marked

with this publisher's

seal.

Yamaguchiya Tōbei

(firm name -  Kinkōdō

錦耕堂,

family name - Arakawa Tōbei

荒川藤兵衛)

Marks #591

山口屋

藤兵衛

やまぐや

とうべえ
(きんこうどう)

Edo /Tokyo

Marks seal #15-005

Marks notes that this seal

was used from 1806-41
and possibly 1848.

Chikuyō,

Eisen, Eizan, Gengyo,

Harukawa Eishō (b),

Hiroshige, Hiroshige II,

Hokusai, Isai,

Kuniaki I, Kuniaki II,

Kunichika, Kunihisa II,

Kunimaro,

 Kunimaru (b),

Kunimasa III,

as Kunisada (  b)

& as Toyokuni III,

Kunisada II, Kuniteru,

Kunitomi, Kunitoshi,

Kuniyasu (   b),

Kuniyoshi,

Sadahide (   b), 

Sadakage (   b),

Sadatora, Shun'ei,

Shungyō,

Shuntei (  b),

Torinyō,

Toshinobu,

Toyokuni I, Toyokuni II,

Tsukimaro (   b),

Utamaro, Utamaro II,

Yasuhide (b),

Yoshifuji, Yoshiharu,

Yoshiharu II,

Yoshiiku,

 Yoshimaru (b),

Yoshimasa,

Yoshitora, Yoshitoro-jo,

Yoshitoshi

A (b) means as a
 book illustrator sometimes
along with woodblock prints.

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1805 to 1895

The carver Hori Sashichikoku worked for this house in 1851. Hori Take also carved for them, too, in 1852 and again in 1859.
Hori Kane worked on Kuniyoshi prints in 1855.

There is a Kunisada
triptych  from the 1830s in the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

with both this publisher's seal

and that of Sōshūya
Yohei.

"Yamaguchiya Tōbei was one of the publishers, if not the publisher, with the biggest output in the history of Japanese woodblock printing." Like other early, prominent houses Yamaguchiya was a member of the Picture Book and Print Publishers Guild (Jihon toiya) in 1807 and like others the head of the firm served, too, as a censor, but in 1812 and 1813. Source and quote from: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900 by Andreas Marks, p. 248.

This seal is not in Marks.

After a quick search we found that this seal may have appeared as early as 1842 and as late as possible 1877.

Yamahei

Marks #U436

山平

やまへい

Edo

The print to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #20-019

Toyokuni I

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1809 to 1812

Yamaichi

Marks #U438

山市

やまいち

Osaka

The Kunihiro  print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image

to see more information.

Marks seal #02-036

Marks notes that this seal

was used from 1822-23.

Ashiyuki, Haruchō,

Hokuchō, Hokushū,

Kunihiro, Shibakuni,

Yoshikuni

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as ca. 1822-24

The Hokushū  print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image

to see more information.

Marks seal #25-477

Marks notes that this seal

was used in 1822.

The Hokushū  print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image

to see more information.

Marks seal #25-220

Marks notes that this seal

was used in 1822.

Yamamotoya Heikichi
(Firm name -  Eikyūdō

栄久堂,

family name -

Yamamoto Heikichi

山本平吉)

Marks #595

山本屋

平吉

やまもとや

へいきち

Edo/Tokyo

The Kunisada  print shown

 to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on the image

to see more information.

Marks seal #04-007

Marks notes that this seal

was used from 1812.

Chikanobu, Eisen,

Eizan, Hiroshige,

Hokusai, Hokuju,

Ikumaru,

possibly Kiyonobu II,

 Kunichika, Kuniharu, 

Kunihisa,

Kunihisa II, Kunikane,

  Kunimaru (b),

Kuninao (  b),

as both Kunisada (b)

& Toyokuni III (b),

Kunisada II,

Kuniteru II (b), 

Kunitora,

Kunitsuna,

Kuniyasu (b),

Kuniyoshi (   b),

Sadahide,

Sadakage, Sadatora,

Shunkyō II,

 Shunsen (b),

Shuntei (  b),

Toyokuni I (  b),

Toyokuni II (   b),

Toyonobu, Yoshifusa,

Yoshikazu,

Yoshimaru (b),

Yoshitora

Yoshitoyo

A (b) means as a

 book illustrator sometimes

along with woodblock prints.

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1812 to 1886

Hori Mino on Kuniyoshi prints in 1852; Hori Take on Kunisada II in 1852 and on Kuniyoshi in 1853; Hori Yasu carved Toyokuni III prints for this house in 1863; Hori Take on Toyokuni III prints in 1859; Hori Masa on Toyokuni III prints in 1859; Hori Chō worked on Yoshiiku prints in 1864 and on Kunisada II in 1864 and again in 1867, on Kuniteru II in 1868, on Kunichika in 1870, Yoshitoshi in 1865 and Sadahide in 1864; Hori Ei on Kunichika prints

 in 1866.

Yamamotoya Heikichi may have collaborated with Wakamatsuya Shirō in 1827 on a Kunisada triptych.

Andreas Marks in his Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900 (p. 258) says: "The publishing firm Eikyūdō was first operated by a Yamamoto Kyūbei form c. 1805 until 1811. Presumably in 1812, Heikichi took over, who might have been some kind of relative of Kyūbei. ¶ Yamamotoya became one of the top five most active publishers in the history of Japanese woodblock prints." Later Marks adds: "His output in the 1830s and 1840s was enormous and at that time he seemed to have rarely produced illustrated books like other publishers and instead concentrated fully on prints." Marks noted in the 1850s that "...generally speaking, Yamamatoya's publications mainly served the mainstream interest and are not very remarkable. A continuous production and market presence seem to have been the main goal and he published almost 800 compositions by Kunisada alone. ¶ In the sixth month of 1865, the son Kinjirō inherited the business and took the name Heikichi. He continued until c. 1886 by issuing actor prints by Chikanobu and others."

The 1871 Kunichika  print

shown to the right is

from the collection of

the British Museum.

Not listed in Marks

but closest to 21-072.

Yama-Mura

Marks #U403

Edo

The Kuniyasu print to the right

is from the Lyon Collection. To

see more about this print click on it.

Not listed in Marks

but closest to 04-016.

Eisen, Kuniyasu,

Shuntei, Utamaro

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1802 to the 1820s

Yamashiroya

Jinbei

(Seal name -

Yamajin 山甚;

firm name - Sansendō 山泉堂)

Marks #601

山城屋甚兵衛

やましろうや

じんべえ

Edo

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.

Marks seal #04-007

Marks notes that this seal

was used between  the

1844-1861.

Chikayoshi,

Hiroshige, Hiroshige II,

Kunimasa IV, Kunisada II,

 Kuniyoshi,  Sadahide,

 Toyokuni III,

Yoshiiku, Yoshikazu, Yoshitora,

Yoshitoshi,

Yoshitsuna, Yoshitsuya

Andreas Marks gives the

dates of ca. 1842 to 1873

Frank Turk identifies this publisher

as Yamashiroya Kambei.

The print shown to the right is from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to see more information.

Marks seal #09-003

Marks notes that this

seal was used

in 1867-68.

Yamashiroya

Sahei

(Seal name - Yamasa 山佐,

firm name - Bunseidō 文政堂,

family name - Fuji Sahei 藤井文政堂)

Marks #603

山城屋

佐兵衛

やましろうや

さへえ

Kyoto

The print to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #seal 01-027

Marks notes that this seal

was used

in ca. 1818.

Goshichi, Nagahide,

Sadahide (b),

Seikoku,

Shimokōbe Shūsui (b),

Suzuki Rinshō (b),

Toyokuni I

A (b) means as a

 book illustrator sometimes

along with woodblock prints.

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as circa 1803 - 1878.

Mainly a book publisher, some of which were by foreign authors or new printings of older Japanese writers. Almost all the books were composed only of texts.

Yamashiroya

Tōemon

(Seal name - Yamatō 山藤,

 firm name - Rakutōsha 洛藤舎)

Marks #605

山城屋

藤右衛門

やましろうや

とうえもん

Edo

The print to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #01-099

Marks notes that this seal

was used between  the

1801-1817.

Bunrō,

Eizan, Hidemaro,

Hokuga, Hokusai,

Kunimaru, Kunisada,

Kunitsugu, Minemaro,

Shuntei,

Toyokuni I, Tsukimaro,

Utamaro, Utamaro II

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as ca. 1801 to 1817

Yamatoya

Jūbei

Marks #607

大和屋

重兵衛

やまとや

じゅうべい

Edo

The print to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #21-074

Marks notes that this seal

was used between  the

1812-1814.

Toyokuni I ( b)

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as ca. 1812 to

1851. However, we

know that this house

was publishing ehon

as early as 1803.

Yamatoya

Kyūbei

Marks #608

大和屋

久兵衛

やまとや

きゅうべえ

Edo

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.

Marks seal #02-034

Marks notes that this seal

was used 1847.

Kuniyoshi

Marks gives the

dates as the 1790s

 to 1848

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.

Yama-Wata

Marks #U427

Edo

The triptych to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Marks seal #01-115

Marks notes that this seal

was used in 1830-1831.

Kunisada

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as ca. 1830 to 1831

Yokoyama Ryōhachi

Marks #623

横山

良八

よこやま

りょうはち

Tokyo

The image to the right is

from the Lyon Collection.

Click on it to go to its

full page.

Chikanobu, Gekkō,

Kōgyo, Kunichika,

Kunisada III, Nobukazu,

Sekisai Kuniyasu,

Shungyō

Ca. 1883 as to 1895

Yorozuya Magobei

(Seal name - Manson/Yorozumago

萬孫,

firm name - Kineidō

錦栄堂,

family name -

Ōkura Magobei

大倉孫兵衛)

Marks #627

万屋孫兵衛 

よろずや

まごべい

Tokyo

Bairei, Chikanobu,

Ginkō,

Hayakawa Shōzan,

Hiroshige II, Hiroshige III,

Ikkei, possibly Ikumaru,

Kuniaki II,

Kunichika, Kunisada III,

 Kuniteru, Kyōsai,

Rinsai,

 Yasuji, Yoshiiku,

Yoshitora, Yoshitoshi

Andreas Marks gives the

dates ca. 1865 as to 1919

The carver Horikō Hidekatsu worked on a Yoshitoshi triptych in 1874 and anothr print for this firm in 1876. He worked on Kunichika prints in 1872.

Yorozu Magobei was not only an important publisher during his day, but the firm went on to import Western paper products and to help found the porcelain works which is known as Noritake.  Source: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900, by Andreas Marks, p. 312.

Yorozuya Zentarō

formerely listed as Manzen

(万善)

which is the seal name.

Marks #629

万屋

善太郎

よろずや

ぜんたろう

Edo

Marks seal #21-129

Dr. Marks gives the

dates 1863-68 for

this seal.

Hiroshige II, Hiroshige III,

Kunichika, Kunisada II,

Kunitaka, Kuniteru II,

Toyokuni III, Yoshiiku,

Yoshimune, Yoshitora

Andreas Marks gives the

dates as ca. 1861 as to 1868

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