Company

Business contentFrom carving,printing,papermaking to binding,Unsodo can offer certain quality handmade woodblock print and book for appreciation.

Company CharacteristicsUnsodo 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