【BLOG】Introducing Kamigata-e

What is Kamigata-e?

Kamigata-e refers to ukiyo-e prints produced mainly in Kyoto and Osaka.
The word Kamigata originates from the idea of Kyoto being the “upper” capital where the Emperor resided, in contrast to Edo, the political center. It came to signify the region long regarded as the core of Japanese culture and commerce.

Because of this, Kamigata was considered a place that produced goods of superb quality, and items shipped from Kamigata to Edo were referred to as kudarimono (“goods coming down” from the capital).

Kamigata-e contains few bijinga (beauty portraits) or landscape prints.
Instead, the majority depict kabuki actors performing at the theaters of Dōtonbori—Osaka’s bustling entertainment district.
Unlike Edo prints, which often idealized actors, Kamigata-e are known for portraying them with expressive, human warmth in their gestures and faces.

Another characteristic is that after the Tenpō Reforms (1843–47), Kamigata-e shifted from the large ōban format (roughly B4 size) to the smaller chūban format (roughly B5).
Faced with this reduced space, artists concentrated their creativity into more refined compositions. Gold, silver, and copper pigments were sometimes added, producing compact yet richly textured works.
As a result, most surviving Kamigata-e today are chūban prints.

Why did the Tenpō Reforms affect ukiyo-e publishing?
During this period, famine caused severe shortages and rising rice prices.
The shogunate responded by enforcing strict bans on luxury goods and tightening control of publications—placing heavy restrictions on ukiyo-e subjects and production.
In this climate, publishers adopted the chūban format as a “practical choice.” Even after the reforms ended, its convenience and aesthetic suitability allowed the smaller format to remain the standard.

In the end, despite these characteristics, “Kamigata-e” is not a genre designation.
It simply refers to prints made in Osaka.

Kamigata-e and the Utagawa School

Nakai Yoshitaki (also known as Utagawa Yoshitaki) was an Osaka-based ukiyo-e artist active from the late Edo through the Meiji period.

The Utagawa School was a major lineage of ukiyo-e artists in Edo, all using the surname “Utagawa.”
Yoshitaki studied under Yoshiume, a disciple of Utagawa Kuniyoshi—one of the most influential ukiyo-e masters of the late Edo period.

Kuniyoshi’s popularity in Edo was tremendous, and his works circulated widely throughout Japan.
Publishers in Osaka often reprinted or adapted the works of famous Edo artists.
This encouraged Osaka artists to study Edo styles and incorporate them into their own works—Yoshiume was a leading figure in this movement.

After training under Kuniyoshi in Edo, Yoshiume returned to Osaka, where he continued producing prints in the style of the Utagawa School.
Yoshitaki later trained under Yoshiume and inherited this artistic lineage.

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Reference:
Kamigata Ukiyo-e Museum, “About Kamigata Ukiyo-e” http://kamigata.jp/ (Accessed October 13, 2025)