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Company Information
Company Name: UNSODO Co., Ltd.
Representative: Hirotaka Yamada
Founded: 1891
Capital: 10 million yen
Business Activities: Publishing of woodblock art books, production and sales of woodblock prints
Japanese-style books and related goods.
Banks: MUFG Bank, Kyoto Bank, others
Kyoto Store (Main Shop)
459 Myomanjimaecho, Teramachi-dori Nijyo Miniru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
TEL: 075-231-3613 / FAX: 075-222-1395
Hours: 9:00–17:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays
Tokyo Store
1-3-6 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-3818-3811 / FAX: 03-3813-4645
Hours: 9:00–17:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays
History
1891: Founded by Naosaburo Yamada in Kyoto after leaving Tanaka Bunkyudo.
1906: Merged with Honda Unkindo, operated by his brothers, and became UNSODO Partnership Company.
1918: Tokyo store opened in Yushima, Bunkyo-ku.
1953: Reorganized as UNSODO Co., Ltd.
The name "UNSODO" was given by the painter Tessai Tomioka, who inscribed
“芸艸は香りくさ (Unso wa kaorikusa).” “芸艸” refers to a perennial plant of the citrus family
originally written as “芸香” in Chinese.
Today, UNSODO is Japan’s only publisher that continues to produce hand-printed woodblock books
and has reproduced numerous masterpieces.
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Since the establishment of a business, wood cut print production leaves many works. We do not understand the accurate number of woodcuts becoming tens of thousands of pieces. A woodcut of Hokusai(Hokusai sketch) and a precious document are kept in that. We intoroduce one part of our works. This is woodcut print at the actual size of a national treasure"peacock guardian god of Buddhism image" in Ninna-ji Temple . It is the greatest and a most-colored woodcutprint in the world . We used the original woodcut which it won in St.Louis World Exposition and reprinted it in 1990. We suffered from 167 centimeters high, 103 centimeters wide, woodcut 22 pieces, printing number of 1380 times,completion in 1 year |
Unsodo was founded in 1891 as a publishing house with a focus on art.
Yamada Naosaburø, the founder, received vital training and experience
working at Kyoto’s venerable Bunkyüdo bookstore.
Upon declaring his independence, he opened Unsødø at its current
location, Teramachi/Nijo. In 1918, Unsodo opened a branch shop
in Tokyo.
The scholar/artist Tomioka Tessai created the shop name, believing
that since plants are vital to the production of books,placing the plant
character “so” in the center of the name would ensure the success
of Unsodo books.
Since its founding,there has been a steady stream of art related
publications, including traditional copybook “gafu”,progressive school
instruction books, “zuan” pattern books, ukiyo-e prints, photo
collections and art study works.
In addition to woodblock printed works, Unsodo has created works in
other media: lithographic, collotype,and full-color publications devoted
to the fine arts and applied arts.
Unsodo is especially noted for its continuing publication of such
masterpieces of book art as Katsushika Hokusai’s Hundred Views of
Mt. Fuji, and his Hokusai Manga, as well as such 20th century classics
as Kamisaka Sekka’s Momoyogusa.
The possession of tens of thousands of original woodblocks establishes
Unsodo as the authentic publisher of its woodblock printed books.
ven now, the look and feel of woodblock printed books is uniquely
appealing, and Unsodo publications are Japan’s most authoritative.
Despite the prevalence of modern developments in offset and digital
printing, Unsodo, together with the dedicated block carvers and printers
of Kyoto, are pleased and proud to carry on the traditional woodblock
printing of books and prints