Ukiyoe Shunju

The Past, Present, and Future of Ukiyoe Shunju
by Katsuhara Ryota, President

I began publishing Ukiyoe Shunju ten years ago with some friends of mine who were interested in ukiyoe but who knew little about ukiyoe. At the time, I was the only one of the group who was knowledgeable in the field. They did not know much about the background of ukiyoe such as the kabuki plays, the legends, the folk tales, the famous beauties and sceneries upon which ukiyoe were based.

About five years ago, several ukiyoe collectors specializing in yakusha-e became co-editors, allowing me to concentrate on supervising production as chief editor, which had been my goal from the beginning.

Over the years, the magazine's readership has changed. At present there are 240 subscribers, of whom one-third are ukiyoe collectors and researchers. The number of readers who are specialists in the field is increasing, but I do not intend to devote the magazine entirely to research reports. Iwant it to remain a magazine whose goal is to give intellectual pleasure to all people interested in ukiyoe. I have always borne this in mind when writing my own articles, and I will continue to do so in the future.

from Ukiyoe Shunju, no.17, December, 1997