Ichibei Izumiya IV

Ichibei Izumiya IV came from a family of publishers. His family was in publishing business from 1686, and when one Izumiya passed away, the next in the family line would take over his roles, duties, and name. The family started as a publisher that handled books related to Buddhism and by the time of Ichibei Izumiya IV the business thrived as a wholesaler of Edo books, publishing and selling recreational books for the common people, including ukiyo-e and kusazoshi picture books.

Ichibei’s shop was near Shiba Shiinmei Jingu Shrine (now Shiba Daijingu Shrine) in the Minato City. The area had a concentration of many Edo book wholesalers, and because of its geographical location near the Tokaido highway, it was Edo’s leading amusement center with rows of theaters, variety show venues, and eateries. His shop was at the perfect place for producing and selling colored ukiyo-e and kusazoshi picture books as entertainment and Edo souvenirs. Ichibei Izumiya IV flourished on publishing kusazoshi picture books, colored ukiyo-e, and splendidly colored picture books by popular writers and ukiyo-e artists. His greatest success was publishing a series called Yakusha Butai no Sugata-e (Portraits of Actors on Stage), a debut of popular artist Toyokuni Utagawa.