Kamigata-e: Japanese Prints From the Kamigata Region

Kamigata was the colloquial name for a region in Japan, now known as Kansai. The region spans the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. The word is used when describing elements of urban culture from the Edo period (1603–1867), such as ukiyo-e prints.

The word refers to ukiyo-e prints from the Kamigata region, which were used to illustrate books. Ukiyo-e prints are formed of a single sheet and became popular in Edo (now Tokyo) from 1700 onward. They did not reach Kamigata until about a hundred years later.

While most prints in Edo were in the ōban format of 15 x 10 inches (38 x 26 cm), this format was only widely used in Kamigata until 1840. After that, the chūban format was used. This was around half the size, at 7.5 x 10 inches (19 x 26 cm).

Prints from Edo featured geishas, landscapes, actors, military scenes, scenes of daily life, and nature. Prints from Kamigata, however, were limited to portraits of actors performing scenes from Kabuki plays. Only very rarely would they stray into any of these other themes.

Kabuki theater in Kamigata was heavily influenced by puppet theater and was known for its natural, realistic acting style. Kabuki from Edo, meanwhile, was influenced by dance and made more use of theatrical effects, as well as much more exaggerated makeup and costumes.

Portraits of actors from Kamigata are strikingly realist in style. It is possible to make out the actor's facial features, age, and even their overall physical appearance. Depictions of actors in Edo, meanwhile, were completely idealized. Their age was not revealed and they were always portrayed as young, elegant, and agile.

The colors used in Kamigata prints tend to be extremely beautiful, enhanced by the addition of metals and with a highly varied palette. In addition to the colors, Kamigata artists experimented with unusual compositions.

The actors' faces can look a little strange. The eyes tend to be excessively large and the mouths of the male figures appear to be fixed in a perpetual grimace, with the edges pointing downward, simulating a mask.

In prints depicting actors, their bodies appear twisted into seemingly impossible poses. The same is true of their heads, which are connected to their bodies at implausible angles in an attempt to capture the agitated movements of the actors on stage.

To give a sense of depth without manipulating the perspective, the prints allow the sky, the sea, and the landscape to fill a dominant area, achieving this special effect. They often used completely flat, decorative geometric backgrounds, which pushed the figure to the fore.

Only a handful of Kamigata ukiyo-e artists were able to make a living from their art. It is estimated that, between 1770 and 1870, around 200 artists created between 10,000 and 15,000 single-page drawings in Kamigata. This number is small compared with those working in Edo during the same period.

Kamigata ukiyo-e artists were viewed as amateurs, because they had to work in other professions to earn a living. Shunkōsa Hokushū was a paper salesman, Gigadō Ashiyuki was a bookseller, and Konishi Hirosada was involved in the publishing business. The only exception was Ryūsai Shigeharu, who earned enough to live on through his work as an artist.

There were no established publishers in Kamigata specializing in the publication of ukiyo-e prints. Prints were usually published by an actor's fan club, or requested by writers who wrote about theater.

There was a close relationship between the main publishers, the main artists, and actors in Kamigata. This way of working resulted in the almost exclusive production of theater-themed prints, which accounted for 90% of them, although some samurai prints were also produced.