Yoshitoshi – Comic Pictures of Tokyo (1881) – Shinagawa brothel & Takanawa noodle shop – uncut sheet - Japan - Meiji period (1868-1912)
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Original Meiji-era woodblock print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Yoshitoshi – Comic Pictures of Tokyo (1881) showing Shinagawa brothel and Takanawa noodle shop on an uncut Ōban sheet, 36 × 24 cm, in excellent condition.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Artist: Tsukioka (Taiso) Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年 / 大蘇芳年, 1839–1892) — the last great master of ukiyo-e
Series: Tōkyō Kaika Kyōga Meisho (東京開化狂画名所) — "Comic Pictures of Famous Places amid the Civilization of Tokyo"
Designs (two, uncut):
· Upper: Shinagawa Girō Kyakujin no Torichigai (品川妓楼 客人のとりちがひ), "A guest mixes up the rooms at a Shinagawa brothel"
· Lower: Shiba Takanawa Sobaya no Sosō (芝高輪 そばやの粗相), "The noodle seller's blunder at Takanawa, Shiba"
Technique: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e), colour (nishiki-e)
Date: Japan, Meiji 14 (1881) — the marginal imprint is dated 6 January 1881
Format: Ōban sheet, 36 × 24.5 cm (14.6 × 9.6 in), holding two chūban designs uncut as issued
Signature: Both designs signed by the artist — the upper as Yoshitoshi gihitsu (芳年戯筆, "drawn for fun by Yoshitoshi"), the lower in cursive
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Condition
Excellent colour and impression; the paper is firm and sound, with minor trimming outside the image area. Both designs complete and uncut. Light toning and soiling. A strong sheet!
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About the print
Yoshitoshi published this comic series in 1881. It is a set of twenty small designs that make fun of everyday life in fast-modernising Meiji Tokyo. Each scene is set at a named place in the city. The designs were printed two to a sheet and normally cut apart, so a sheet like this one, still uncut and with the left margin carrying the censorship date, the artist's registered name (Tsukioka Yonejirō) and the publisher's address, keeps the form in which it was issued.
Upper: the wrong room at Shinagawa. Shinagawa was the first post-station on the Tōkaidō leaving the city, and its inns and brothels made it one of Tokyo's best-known pleasure districts. The joke is in the title: a guest has entered the wrong room and gone crashing over the folding screen set around a bed, to the shock of the people already there.
Lower: the noodle seller at Takanawa. Takanawa lay on the shore of Tokyo Bay in the Shiba district, on the main road into the city. Here a careless noodle seller drops his tray, tipping a bowl of noodles over a customer's head and spilling the rest across the street. A policeman holding up a lantern shouts at the noise. The uniformed policeman is itself a sign of the new Meiji order, which Yoshitoshi liked to put into these scenes.
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Artist: Tsukioka (Taiso) Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年 / 大蘇芳年, 1839–1892) — the last great master of ukiyo-e
Series: Tōkyō Kaika Kyōga Meisho (東京開化狂画名所) — "Comic Pictures of Famous Places amid the Civilization of Tokyo"
Designs (two, uncut):
· Upper: Shinagawa Girō Kyakujin no Torichigai (品川妓楼 客人のとりちがひ), "A guest mixes up the rooms at a Shinagawa brothel"
· Lower: Shiba Takanawa Sobaya no Sosō (芝高輪 そばやの粗相), "The noodle seller's blunder at Takanawa, Shiba"
Technique: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e), colour (nishiki-e)
Date: Japan, Meiji 14 (1881) — the marginal imprint is dated 6 January 1881
Format: Ōban sheet, 36 × 24.5 cm (14.6 × 9.6 in), holding two chūban designs uncut as issued
Signature: Both designs signed by the artist — the upper as Yoshitoshi gihitsu (芳年戯筆, "drawn for fun by Yoshitoshi"), the lower in cursive
----------------------------------------------------------------
Condition
Excellent colour and impression; the paper is firm and sound, with minor trimming outside the image area. Both designs complete and uncut. Light toning and soiling. A strong sheet!
-------------------------------------------------------
About the print
Yoshitoshi published this comic series in 1881. It is a set of twenty small designs that make fun of everyday life in fast-modernising Meiji Tokyo. Each scene is set at a named place in the city. The designs were printed two to a sheet and normally cut apart, so a sheet like this one, still uncut and with the left margin carrying the censorship date, the artist's registered name (Tsukioka Yonejirō) and the publisher's address, keeps the form in which it was issued.
Upper: the wrong room at Shinagawa. Shinagawa was the first post-station on the Tōkaidō leaving the city, and its inns and brothels made it one of Tokyo's best-known pleasure districts. The joke is in the title: a guest has entered the wrong room and gone crashing over the folding screen set around a bed, to the shock of the people already there.
Lower: the noodle seller at Takanawa. Takanawa lay on the shore of Tokyo Bay in the Shiba district, on the main road into the city. Here a careless noodle seller drops his tray, tipping a bowl of noodles over a customer's head and spilling the rest across the street. A policeman holding up a lantern shouts at the noise. The uniformed policeman is itself a sign of the new Meiji order, which Yoshitoshi liked to put into these scenes.
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Details
Dynastic Style/Period
Meiji period (1868-1912)
Number of objects
1
Country of Origin
Japan
Attribution
Original
Height
36 cm
Width
24 cm
Title of artwork
Yoshitoshi – Comic Pictures of Tokyo (1881) – Shinagawa brothel & Takanawa noodle shop – uncut sheet
Condition
Excellent condition
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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