Hinagata Wakana's first pattern T-shirt, published by Tsutaya Juzaburo

June 07 2025, by Midgard Japan, 1 min reading time

"Hinakata Wakana Hatsumonyo" is a series of nishiki-e prints that was popular in the middle and late Edo period, especially during the Tenmei era (1781-1789), and played a role similar to a fashion magazine showcasing the latest kimonos and hairstyles of the courtesans of Yoshiwara. This series is known as one of Isoda Koryusai's masterpieces, and more than 100 works have been identified.

Torii Kiyonaga also painted a work with the same title, "Hinaga Wakana First Moyo." Torii Kiyonaga was an ukiyo-e artist who took the world by storm with his paintings of healthy beauties with slender bodies and eight-head bodies, and is a representative figure of beauties painted during the Tenmei period. The courtesans he painted harmonize with the scenery in the background, expressing a more open and lively beauty. Kiyonaga's inclusion in this series shows the enthusiasm of the artists who were leading the trends of the time.

Some of Isoda Koryusai's works were published by Tsutaya Jusaburo, and some have been confirmed to bear his "Koshodo" seal.

However, midway through the series, Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudo) became the sole publisher. Some say that this was due to a deterioration in the relationship between Tsutaya Juzaburo and Nishimuraya, but in reality, the two publishers developed a division of labor, cooperating and competing with each other, which is thought to have led to the series becoming a masterpiece that represents the Edo period.

List of Hinagata Wakana's first patterns