Signatures of Ukiyo-e Artists

Kanji characters with examples

© Hans Olof Johansson 2000-2003

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The signature on a Japanese ukiyo-e print is not handwritten, and its sole purpose is to tell us the name of the artist who designed the image. Unlike the signatures on modern art prints, it should never be interpreted as a proof of genuineness.

Usually, an artist's signature is a combination of kanji characters, arranged in vertical groups, that are read downwards, from right to left. Very often the signature only consists of one vertical group: two characters, followed by a suffix: ga or hitsu ('designed by', see the examples below).

The list below contains a number of the most common kanji characters in ukiyo-e signatures, as well as some less frequent ones. They have been arranged alphabetically, according to their pronunciation. Please note, however, that most of these characters can also be pronounced in a number of other ways, and that many other characters can have a pronunciation identical to anyone of these. In many instances, two artists' names can be pronounced exactly the same, but they are written with different kanji characters - a potential cause of confusion in non-Japanese reference works.

This list is by no means complete or comprehensive. There are, of course, hundreds or even thousands of other names that could be included. Hopefully, it can be of some use as it is now, and it is my ambition to expand it by adding more signature examples.

*Character*	*Artist*	*Signatures*
AKI Names: Kuniaki (See also MEI)
ASHI Names: Ashiharu, Ashihiro, Ashikiyo, Ashikuni, Ashinuki, Ashitomo, Ashiyuki	Ashiyuki (active ca 1814-1833)	Ca 1830 Gigadô Ashiyuki ga
BUN Names: Bunchô, Bunrô	Bunchô (active ca 1765-1792)	Ippitsusai Bunchô ga
CHIKA Names: Chikanobu, Chikashige Kunichika	Chikanobu (1838-1912)	1884 Yôshû Chikanobu hitsu (with toshidama seal)	1895 Yôshû Chikanobu
	Chikashige (active second half of 19th century)	Ca 1880 Morikawa Chikashige ga (with toshidama seal)
CHIKA Names: Kiyochika
CHÔ Names: Chôki (See also NAGA)	Chôki (active ca 1785-1805)	Chôki ga
CHÔ Names: Bunchô, Shûchô
CHÔ Names: Hokuchô
CHÔ Names: Senchô
CHÔ Names: Shunchô
DÔ Names: Shundô
EI Names: Eisen, Eishô, Eizan Hokuei, Shunei (See also HIDE)	Eisen (1790-1848)	Ca 1825 Keisai Eisen ga
	Eizan (1787-1867)	Kikugawa Eizan hitsu
EI Names: Eiju, Eiri, Eishi, Eishô, Eisui Shunei	Eishi (1756-1829)	1790s Eishi zu
	Eishô (active ca 1780-1800)	Ca 1795 Chôkôsai Eishô ga
FUJI Names: Yoshifuji
FUSA Names: Fusatane Morofusa, Sadafusa	Fusatane (active ca 1850-1870)	1854 Fusatane ga
GIN Names: Ginkô	Ginkô (active 1874-1897)	Shôsai Ginkô
GYÔ (KYÔ) Names: Gyôsai (Kyôsai)	Gyôsai (1831-1889) a k a Kyôsai	1864 Gyôsai
GYOKU Names: Gyokusai	Gyokusai	1868 Gyokusai ga
HARU Names: Harumasa, Harunobu, Harushige Kiyoharu, Kuniharu, Nobuharu, Sadaharu, Shigeharu, Toyoharu, Yoshiharu (See also SHUN)	Harunobu (1724-1770)	Suzuki Harunobu ga
HARU Names: Ashiharu
HIDE Names: Hidemaro Sadahide, Toyohide
HIDE Names: Hidekuni Toshihide (See also EI)
HIRO Names: Hirokage, Hirokuni, Hironobu, Hirosada, Hiroshige Ashihiro, Kiyohiro, Kunihiro, Nobuhiro, Sadahiro, Shigehiro, Toyohiro	Hirokage (active ca 1855-1865)	1859 Hirokage ga
	Hirosada (active ca 1820-1863)	Hirosada (with seal)
	Hiroshige (I) (1797-1858)	Ca 1833 Hiroshige ga	Ca 1845 Hiroshige ga	1858 Hiroshige ga
	Hiroshige II (1826-1869) a k a Shigenobu, Risshô	1858 Nidaime Hiroshige	Early 1860s Hiroshige ga
	Hiroshige III (1843-1894)	1868 Ôju Hiroshige gibitsu
HISA Names: Kunihisa, Toyohisa
HÔ Names: Hôsai (See also TOYO)	Hôsai (1848-1920) a k a Kunisada III	Kôchôrô Hôsai ga (with Toshidama seal)	1895 Hôsai Baidô hitsu (with Toshidama seal)	1899 Kôchôrô Hôsai hitsu (with seal Baidô)
	Hôsai (1858-1923) a k a Yoshikage	Hôsai ga
HÔ Names: Hôryû (See also YOSHI)
HOKU Names: Hokuchô, Hokuei, Hokuju, Hokumei, Hokusai, Hokushô, Hokushû	Hokuei (active ca 1825-1837)	Ca 1835 Shumbaisai Hokuei ga
	Hokuju (active 1789-1818)	Shôtei Hokuju ga
	Hokusai (1760-1849)	Ca 1830 Zen Hokusai Iitsu hitsu
ICHI Names: Ikkei	Ikkei (active ca 1870s)	1872 Shôsai Ikkei hitsu (with seal)
IKU Names: Yoshiiku
JÔ Names: Shunjô
JU Names: Eiju, Hokuju, Shunju
KAGE Names: Kagematsu, Kagetoshi Hirokage, Kunikage, Sadakage (See also KEI)	Kagematsu (active 1830s-1840s)	1841 Ippôsai Kagematsu hitsu
KATSU Names: Nobukatsu, Shigekatsu
KAZU Names: Kunikazu, Yoshikazu
KEI Names: Ikkei (See also KAGE)
KI Names: Chôki
KI Names: Ashiyuki
KIYO Names: Kiyochika, Kiyoharu, Kiyohiro, Kiyokuni, Kiyomasa, Kiyomasu, Kiyomitsu, Kiyonaga, Kiyonobu, Kiyosada, Kiyoshige, Kiyotada Ashikiyo	Kiyochika (1847-1915)	1884 Shinsei Kobayashi Kiyochika (with seal: shinsei)
	Kiyohiro (active 1737-1776)	Torii Kiyohiro hitsu
	Kiyomasu (I) (active ca 1696-1716)	Torii uji Kiyomasu zu
	Kiyomasu II (1706-1763)	Kiyomasu ga
	Kiyomine (I) (1787-1868) a k a Kiyomitsu II	1807 Kiyomine ga	1811 Torii ni-daime Kiyomasu zu ôbô (?) go-daime Kiyomine ga
	Kiyomitsu (I) (1735-1785)	Torii Kiyomitsu ga
	Kiyonaga (1752-1815)	Kiyonaga ga
	Kiyosada (active ca 1848-1853) a k a Masunobu	1848 or 1849 Kiyosada aratame Masunobu (in Toshidama cartouche)
KO Names: Koryûsai	Koryûsai (active ca 1764-1788)	Late 1770s Koryûsai ga
KO Names: Kokunimasa	Kokunimasa	1895 Baidô (?) Kokunimasa hitsu
KÔ Names: Shôkôsai, Shunkô
KÔ Names: Ginkô
KUNI Names: Kuniaki, Kunichika, Kuniharu, Kunihiro, Kunihisa, Kunikage, Kunikazu, Kunimaro, Kunimaru, Kunimasa, Kunimasu, Kunimitsu, Kunimori, Kuninaga, Kuninao, Kunisada, Kunishige, Kuniteru, Kunitomi, Kunitora, Kunitsuna, Kuniyasu, Kuniyoshi Ashikuni, Hidekuni, Hirokuni, Kiyokuni, Kokunimasa, Masakuni, Shibakuni, Toyokuni, Yoshikuni	Kuniaki II (1835-1888)	1877 Ôju Kuniaki (with manji seal)
	Kunichika (1835-1900)	1864 Kunichika ga (with seal)	1878 Toyohara Kunichika hitsu (with toshidama seal)
	Kunihisa (1832-1891)	1857 Kunihisa ga (in toshidama cartouche)
	Kunimaro (active ca 1850-1875)	1865 Kunimaro hitsu
	Kunimaru (1794-1829)	Kunimaru ga
	Kunimine (1861-1944)	1882 Kunimine ga
	Kuninao (1793-1854)	Kuninao ga
	Kunisada (I) (1786-1864) a k a Toyokuni III (1844-1864)	Early 1810s Kunisada ga	Ca 1820 Gototei Kunisada ga	Ca 1835 Kôchôrô Kunisada ga	1844 Kunisada aratame ni-dai Toyokuni ga
	Kunisada II (1823-1880)		1857 Baichôrô Kunisada ga (in two toshidama cartouches
	Kuniteru II (1829-1874) a k a Kunitsuna II	1867 Ichiyôsai Kuniteru ga
	Kunitomi (active ca 1804-1844) a k a Tominobu (ca 1820-)	Ca 1820 Kunitomi aratame Kasentei Tominobu
	Kunitsuna II (1829-1874) a k a Kuniteru II	Ichiransai Kunitsuna ga
	Kuniyasu (1794-1832)	Kuniyasu ga
	Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)		Ca 1840 Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga	Ca 1845 Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga (with kiri seal)
MAN Names: Shumman
MARO Names: Hidemaro, Kunimaro, Shigemaro, Utamaro
MARU Names: Kunimaru, Toyomaru
MASA Names: Masakuni, Masanobu Harumasa, Kiyomasa, Kokunimasa, Kunimasa, Nobumasa, Sadamasa, Shigemasa	Masanobu (1686-1764) a k a Okumura Masanobu	Hôgetsudô shômei Okumura Bunkaku Masanobu shôhitsu (with seal: Tanchôsai)
MASU Names: Kiyomasu
MASU Names: Masunobu Kunimasu, Sadamasu	Masunobu (active ca 1848-1853) a k a Kiyosada	1848 or 1849 Kiyosada aratame Masunobu (in Toshidama cartouche)
MATSU Names: Kagematsu (See also SHÔ)
MEI Names: Hokumei (See also AKI)
MINE Names: Kiyomine, Kunimine
MITSU Names: Kiyomitsu, Kunimitsu
MITSU Names: Shigemitsu
MÔ Names: Môsai	Môsai a k a Yoshitora (active ca 1850-1880)	Môsai ga
MORI Names: Kunimori, Yoshimori
MORO Names: Morofusa, Moronobu
NAGA Names: Nagahide, Nagakuni Kiyonaga, Kuninaga, Shigenaga (See also CHÔ)
NAO Names: Kuninao, Shigenao
NOBU Names: Nobuharu, Nobuhiro, Nobukatsu, Nobumasa, Nobusada Harunobu, Hironobu, Kiyonobu, Masanobu, Sadanobu, Shigenobu, Sukenobu, Tominobu, Toshinobu, Toyonobu, Yoshinobu
NOBU Names: Chikanobu
NOBU Names: Shigenobu, Toyonobu
NUKI Names: Ashinuki
Ô Names: Ôsai	Ôsai (active ca 1850-1870)	Ôsai ga
PÛ (FÛ) Names: Shumpûsha
RAKU Names: Sharaku, Shôraku, Soraku
RI Names: Eiri
RITSU Names: Risshô	Risshô a k a Hiroshige II	Risshô ga
RÔ Names: Bunrô
RYÛ Names: Ryûunsai Hôryû, Koryûsai
SADA Names: Sadafusa, Sadaharu, Sadahide, Sadahiro, Sadakage, Sadamasa, Sadamasu, Sadanobu, Sadatora, Sadayoshi Hirosada, Kiyosada, Kunisada, Nobusada	Sadahide (1807-1873)	Sadahide ga
	Sadakage (active 1820s-1830s)	Gokotei Sadakage ga (with toshidama seal)
SAI Names: Gyôsai, Gyokusai, Hokusai, Hôsai, Koryûsai, Môsai, Ôsai, Ryûunsai, Shinsai, Shôkôsai
SEN Names: Senchô Eisen, Shunsen	Senchô (active ca 1830-1850)	Teisai Senchô ga
SEN Names: Shunsen
SHA Names: Sharaku	Sharaku (active 1794-1795)	Tôshûsai Sharaku ga
SHA Names: Shumpûsha
SHI Names: Eishi
SHIBA Names: Shibakuni
SHIGE Names: Shigefusa, Shigeharu, Shigehiro, Shigekatsu, Shigemaro, Shigemasa, Shigemitsu, Shigenaga, Shigenao, Shigenobu Harushige, Hiroshige, Kiyoshige, Kunishige, Terushige, Toyoshige	Shigeharu (1803-1853)	Ryûsai Shigeharu ga
	Shigemitsu (active ca 1850)	Enrôsai (?) Shigemitsu ga
	Shigenobu (1787-1832)	Tôto Yanagawa Shigenobu
	Shigenobu a k a Hiroshige II	Ichiryûsai (?) Shigenobu ga
SHIN Names: Shinsai	Shinsai (1764?-1820)	Shinsai	Ryûryûkyo Shinsai ga
SHÔ Names: Eishô, Shunshô
SHÔ Names: Eishô
SHÔ Names: Shôkôsai Hokushô (See also MATSU)
SHÔ Names: Risshô
SHÔ Names: Shunshô (See also MASU)
SHÛ Names: Shûchô
SHÛ Names: Hokushû
SHUN (SHUM) Names: Shunchô,Shundô, Shunei, Shunjô, Shunju, Shunkô, Shumpûsha, Shunsen, Shunshô, Shunsui, Shuntei, Shunzan (See also HARU)	Shumpûsha (active late 1850s)	1859 Shumpûsha ga
	Shunchô (active ca 1780-1795)	Shunchô ga
	Shunei (1762-1819)	Shunei ga
	Shunkô (1743-1812)	Shunkô ga
	Shunsen (1762-ca 1830)	Katsukawa Shunsen ga
	Shunshô (1726-1792)	Katsukawa Shunshô zu (with kakihan)
	Shunshô (active ca 1830-1854)	Ca 1845 Kochôen Shunshô ga
	Shuntei (1873-1915)	1897 Miyagawa Shuntei (with seal)
	Shunzan (active ca 1782-1798)	Shunzan ga
SHUN (SHUM) Names: Shumman	Shumman (1757-1820)	Shumman ga
SUI Names: Eisui, Shunsui
SUKE Names: Sukenobu
TADA Names: Kiyotada
TAKI Names: Yoshitaki
TANE Names: Fusatane
TEI Names: Shuntei
TEI Names: Shuntei
TERU Names: Terushige Kuniteru
TOMI Names: Tominobu Yoshitomi	Tominobu (active ca 1804-1844) a k a Kunitomi (- ca 1820)	Ca 1820 Kunitomi aratame Kasentei Tominobu
TOMO Names: Ashitomo
TORA Names: Kunitora, Sadatora, Yoshitora
TOSHI Names: Toshihide, Toshinobu Kagetoshi, Yoshitoshi	Toshihide (1863-1925)	1889 Toshihide ga (with seal)
TOSHI Names: Toshinobu
TOYO Names: Toyoharu, Toyohide, Toyohiro, Toyohisa, Toyokuni, Toyomaru, Toyomasa, Toyonobu, Toyoshige Yoshitoyo (See also HÔ)	Toyohiro (1773-1828)	Toyohiro ga
	Toyokuni (I) (1769-1825)	Toyokuni ga
	Toyokuni II (1777-1835)	Ca 1830 Toyokuni ga
	Toyokuni III (1786-1864) a k a Kunisada I (-1844)	1844 Kunisada aratame nidai Toyokuni ga	1852 Kôchôrô Toyokuni ga (with toshidama seal)	1857 Toyokuni ga (in toshidama cartouche)
	Toyonobu (1859-1886)	1884 Toyonobu ga (with toshidama seal)
TSUNA Names: Kunitsuna
TSUYA Names: Yoshitsuya
UME Names: Umekuni Yoshiume	Umekuni (active 1823-1826)	Toyokawa Umekuni ga
UN Names: Ryûunsai
UTA Names: Utakuni, Utamaro	Utamaro (I) (1754-1806)	1793 Utamaro ga	Ca 1802 Utamaro hitsu
	Utamaro II (?-1831?)	Utamaro hitsu
YASU Names: Kuniyasu
YOSHI Names: Yoshifuji, Yoshiharu, Yoshiiku, Yoshikazu, Yoshikuni, Yoshimori, Yoshitaki, Yoshitomi, Yoshitora, Yoshitoshi, Yoshitoyo, Yoshitsuya, Yoshiume (See also HÔ)	Yoshifuji (1828-1887)	Ca 1850 Ippôsai Yoshifuji ga	1868 Yoshifuji ga (the first part with hiragana: yo shi)
	Yoshiiku (1833-1904)	1876 Ikkeisai Yoshiiku (with seal: Yoshiiku)
	Yoshikazu (active ca 1850-1870)	1855 Ichijusai Yoshikazu (with kiri seal)
	Yoshimori (1830-1884)	1865 Ikkôsai Yoshimori giga
	Yoshitaki (1841-1899)	Yoshitaki ga
	Yoshitomi (active ca 1850s-1870s)	1860 Ichigeisai Yoshitomi ga
	Yoshitora (active ca 1850-1880) a k a Môsai	1863 Yoshitora ga
	Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)	1864 Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi ga	1879 Ôju Yoshitoshi (Seal: Taiso)	1888 Yoshitoshi (Seal: Taiso)
	Yoshitoyo (1830-1866)	1859 Ichiryûsai Yoshitoyo ga
	Yoshitsuya (1822-1866)	1862 Ichieisai Yoshitsuya ga
YU Names: Ashiyuki
ZAN (SAN) Names: Eizan, Shunzan