Biography

Ukiyo-e artist. Disciple of Kuniyoshi Utagawa. Collaboratively created the series “Twenty-eight Famous Murders with Verse” with his senior disciple Yoshiiku Ochiai. It attracted attention, being referred to as “chimidoro-e” (bloody prints), due to the gruesome depictions that reflected the unsettling late Edo era. This series also inspired the creativities of future novelists. His wide range of genres included actor print, warrior print and beauty print. In 1875, he joined the Yubin-Hochi Shimbun newspaper, and produced multicolored print illustrations. From around 1885, he demonstrated his distinctive creativity in historical prints and story prints, which placed him at the top in the popularity ranking of ukiyo-e artists of the time. His gorgeous colors and ingenious compositions still have a great influence on today’s illustrations and manga.