Ukai Gyokusen facts for kids

Ukai Gyokusen (鵜飼 玉川, 1807–1887) was a very important Japanese photographer. He might not be as famous as some other photographers from his time, like Shimooka Renjō or Ueno Hikoma. However, Ukai Gyokusen was the first Japanese person to become a professional photographer. He opened his own photography studio in Edo (which is now Tokyo) around 1860 or 1861.

Early Life and Artistic Journey

Ukai Gyokusen was born in 1807 in a place called Ishioka, which is now part of Ibaraki Prefecture. He was the youngest of four brothers in a family that was quite well-off. His father worked as a finance commissioner for a powerful lord, known as a daimyō.

When Ukai was thirteen, he was adopted by a family that supplied sake (Japanese rice wine) to another daimyō. This meant he became a merchant, working in the family business. Later, Ukai became very interested in art and old treasures. He met a famous painter named Tani Bunchō. In 1831, Ukai decided to leave the sake business and become a full-time artist.

Becoming a Photographer

In 1859, Ukai Gyokusen wanted to learn how to take pictures. He traveled to Yokohama, which was one of the few Japanese cities where foreigners were allowed to visit. Because of this, Yokohama (and Nagasaki) became early centers for photography in Japan.

Ukai learned photography from an American photographer named Orrin Freeman. It's thought that Ukai might have even bought Freeman's camera and equipment later on.

Opening His Studio

Around 1860 or 1861, Ukai moved to Edo and opened his own photography studio. He named it Eishin-dō (影真堂). His studio was even mentioned in a publication from late 1861.

Ukai was special because he worked in Edo, a city that didn't allow foreigners. Other photographers like Shimooka and Ueno mostly took pictures of foreign visitors. But Ukai photographed Japanese people who knew about photography and could afford a portrait. In just a few years, he took over 200 ambrotype portraits of important people from the Japanese aristocracy. He closed his studio in 1867.

Later Work and Legacy

In 1879, Ukai Gyokusen worked for the Treasury Printing Office. He traveled through western Japan for five months with the office's director. Their job was to inspect and photograph old historical items. The results of their research were published between 1880 and 1881 in a book called Kokka Yohō (国華余芳). This book included pictures that were made from Ukai's photographs.

In 1883, Ukai buried several hundred of his glass negatives at Yanaka Cemetery in Tokyo. These negatives are like the film used in old cameras. A monument was placed at the site, which included details about his life. Four years later, in 1887, Ukai died and was buried at the same spot. His glass negatives were found in 1956 and reported in a photography newspaper.

Many old Japanese ambrotype photos from the 1860s don't have a name attached to them. It's likely that some of these were taken by Ukai. One photograph that we know for sure was his work is an 1863 portrait of a person named Miura Shushin.