Tsutaya Juzaburo
Encyclopedia
was the founder and head of the Tsutaya publishing house in Edo period
Japan
, which produced the ukiyo-e
woodblock print
works of many of the period's most famous artists, along with illustrated books. He has been called "the greatest of the print publishers", and is easily the most famous publisher of the period.
"Tsuta-ya" is not truly a surname, as commoners generally lacked surnames in Japan prior to the 1868 Meiji Restoration
. Rather, it is a yagō
, or "shop name", literally meaning "Ivy Shop". Jūzaburō and his successors used a seal
of ivy leaves under a stylized Mt. Fuji as their publisher's mark
. He is sometimes also referred to as "Tsuta-Jū".
, Edo
's pleasure district. Born in the Yoshiwara, Jūzaburō was adopted into the Kitagawa family and given the name "Tsutaya" after the shop name of one of the Kitagawa's tea house
s.
He opened his publishing business in the Yoshiwara in 1773, and began printing and selling guides to the pleasure districts. Seven years later, he began publishing kibyōshi
by the famous writer Hōseidō Kisanji, marking the beginning of his popularity and success. He soon expanded into publishing sharebon
and books of kyōka, and moved his operation to Nihonbashi
in 1783, joining the top ranks of the merchants of Edo.
Over the course of his career, Tsutaya discovered and supported artists and writers such as Utamaro
, Sharaku
, Bakin
, Jippensha Ikku
, and Santō Kyōden
, producing thousands of prints based on the artists' designs, printing the writers' books, encouraging these creative talents, and serving as their patron and mentor. Though he enjoyed great contemporary success and profits for his publications, his fame today likely derives more from his ability to discover and nurture great talents. Without his efforts, many of the period's most famous and talented artists and writers may not have ever emerged.
The Kansei Reforms
, instituted from 1787-1793, brought strict censorship and strict penalties. In 1791 Santō Kyōden was placed under house arrest in shackles, and Tsutaya was forced to pay a large monetary penalty for publishing his politically volatile works. A period of ten months in 1794-1795, however, represented the short career of the great artist Sharaku, all of whose designs were printed by Tsutaya, to great contemporary success and profits. As Sharaku's identity remains a subject of debate, some scholars claim he and Jūzaburō may have been the same person., although this is unlikely .
Jūzaburō died at the age of 48 in 1797. Some sources claim the cause to have been beriberi
.
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, which produced the ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
woodblock print
Woodblock printing in Japan
Woodblock printing in Japan is a technique best known for its use in the ukiyo-e artistic genre; however, it was also used very widely for printing books in the same period. Woodblock printing had been used in China for centuries to print books, long before the advent of movable type, but was only...
works of many of the period's most famous artists, along with illustrated books. He has been called "the greatest of the print publishers", and is easily the most famous publisher of the period.
"Tsuta-ya" is not truly a surname, as commoners generally lacked surnames in Japan prior to the 1868 Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
. Rather, it is a yagō
YAGO
YAGO was an early LAN startup acquired by Cabletron Systems in the mid-1990s, fueling its growth into Gigabit Ethernet switching and ultimately being re-spun off into the entity Riverstone Networks....
, or "shop name", literally meaning "Ivy Shop". Jūzaburō and his successors used a seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
of ivy leaves under a stylized Mt. Fuji as their publisher's mark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
. He is sometimes also referred to as "Tsuta-Jū".
Life and career
Jūzaburō's father is believed to have been a member of the Maruyama clan and a worker in the YoshiwaraYoshiwara
Yoshiwara was a famous Akasen district in Edo, present-day Tōkyō, Japan.In the early 17th century, there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka. To counter this, an order of Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate restricted prostitution to...
, Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
's pleasure district. Born in the Yoshiwara, Jūzaburō was adopted into the Kitagawa family and given the name "Tsutaya" after the shop name of one of the Kitagawa's tea house
Tea house
A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term "tea house" or "tea room."-Asia:In Central Asia this term...
s.
He opened his publishing business in the Yoshiwara in 1773, and began printing and selling guides to the pleasure districts. Seven years later, he began publishing kibyōshi
Kibyoshi
' is a genre of Japanese picture book kusazōshi produced during the middle of the Edo period, from 1775 to the early 19th century. Physically identifiable by their yellow-backed covers, kibyōshi were typically printed in 10 page volumes, many spanning two to three volumes in length, with the...
by the famous writer Hōseidō Kisanji, marking the beginning of his popularity and success. He soon expanded into publishing sharebon
Sharebon
The was a pre-modern Japanese literary genre. Plots revolved around humor and entertainment at the pleasure quarters. It is a sub-genre of gesaku.-Characteristics:As a sub-genre of gesaku, humor was a major aspect to each story...
and books of kyōka, and moved his operation to Nihonbashi
Nihonbashi
, or Nihombashi, is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603, and the current bridge made of stone dates from 1911...
in 1783, joining the top ranks of the merchants of Edo.
Over the course of his career, Tsutaya discovered and supported artists and writers such as Utamaro
Utamaro
was a Japanese printmaker and painter, who is considered one of the greatest artists of woodblock prints . His name was romanized as Outamaro. He is known especially for his masterfully composed studies of women, known as bijinga...
, Sharaku
Sharaku
is widely considered to be one of the great masters of the woodblock printing in Japan. Little is known of him, besides his ukiyo-e prints; neither his true name nor the dates of his birth or death are known with any certainty...
, Bakin
Bakin
Bakin may refer to:*Kyokutei Bakin*the Indonesian intelligence service Bakin *the Esperanto name adopted by Li Yaotang, aka Ba Jin...
, Jippensha Ikku
Jippensha Ikku
was the pen name of Shigeta Sadakazu , a Japanese writer active during the late Edo period of Japan. He lived primarily in Edo in the service of samurai, but also spent some time in Osaka as a townsman...
, and Santō Kyōden
Santo Kyoden
was a Japanese poet, writer and artist in the Edo period. His real name was , and he was also known popularly as . He is the brother of Santō Kyōzan.- Life :...
, producing thousands of prints based on the artists' designs, printing the writers' books, encouraging these creative talents, and serving as their patron and mentor. Though he enjoyed great contemporary success and profits for his publications, his fame today likely derives more from his ability to discover and nurture great talents. Without his efforts, many of the period's most famous and talented artists and writers may not have ever emerged.
The Kansei Reforms
Kansei Reforms
The were a series of reactionary policy changes and edicts which were intended to cure a range of perceived problems which had developed in mid-18th century Tokugawa Japan....
, instituted from 1787-1793, brought strict censorship and strict penalties. In 1791 Santō Kyōden was placed under house arrest in shackles, and Tsutaya was forced to pay a large monetary penalty for publishing his politically volatile works. A period of ten months in 1794-1795, however, represented the short career of the great artist Sharaku, all of whose designs were printed by Tsutaya, to great contemporary success and profits. As Sharaku's identity remains a subject of debate, some scholars claim he and Jūzaburō may have been the same person., although this is unlikely .
Jūzaburō died at the age of 48 in 1797. Some sources claim the cause to have been beriberi
Beriberi
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a thiamine deficiency in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons...
.
See also
- Tsutaya - Japanese video rental chain
- Tsutaya Kichizō - (c. 1800-1860) publisher and successor to Jūzaburō.