Tsutaya Juzaburo Picture Book Pine Tree Melody T-shirt

June 16 2025, by Midgard Japan, 1 min reading time

"The Pine Tree" (Ehon Matsu no Shirabe) by Tsutaya Juzaburo is one of the picture books illustrated by Tsutaya Juzaburo, who was a publisher active during the Edo period. It was compiled during the Tenmei period (1781-1789), when kyoka poetry enjoyed explosive popularity.

Tsutaya Juzaburo was not only a permanent publisher, but also worked as a kyoka poet under the name "Tsuta Tomaru" and was known as the "media king of Edo" for discovering talented poets of the time, such as Ota Nanpo and Kitagawa Utamaro, and introducing them to the world.

"Matsu no Shirabe" was one of the many different genres of publications that Tsutaju worked on, and played a role as a picture book that reflected the culture of the time. His publications also contributed greatly to the development of ukiyo-e, such as Utamaro's large-headed beauties and Sharaku's actor prints.

About Tsutaya Juzaburo's "Ehons Matsu no Shirabe"
"Ehons Matsu no Shirabe" (Picture Book: The Tone of Pines) is a picture book created by Tsutaya Juzaburo, a prominent publisher who was active during the Edo period in Japan. It was published during the Tenmei era (1781-1789), a period when Kyoka (comic tanka poetry) enjoyed immense popularity.

Tsutaya Juzaburo was more than just a publisher; he was also a Kyoka poet himself, going by the name "Tsuta no Maru." He discovered and promoted talents like Ota Nanpo and Kitagawa Utamaro, earning him the moniker "Media King of Edo."

"Ehons Matsu no Shirabe" is one of the many diverse publications Tsutaya Juzaburo handled, serving as a picture book that reflected the culture of its time. His publications significantly contributed to the development of Ukiyo-e, including Utamaro's "bijin ōkubi-e" (large-head pictures of beautiful women) and Sharaku's actor portraits.