Ukai Gyokusen

Ukai Gyokusen (Japanese鹈 饲 玉川; * 1807 in Ishioka, Ibaraki Prefecture, † 1887 in Tokyo) was the first Japanese professional photographer.

His stage name is Gyokusen ( "Jewel River " ), his real name Endō (远藤) and his nickname Ikunosuke (几 之 助) and Sanji (三 二or三次).

Ukai Gyokusen came from a wealthy samurai family, worked until 1831, however, as Sake dealer, then probably only as an artist.

He was advised by the American Orrin Freeman, who ran a ambrotype studio in Edo ( Tokyo) and gave lessons in it. From this he drew his photo equipment. From 1860 or 1861 he ran until 1867 in Edo a photo studio called Eishin - dō (影 真 堂). He portrayed more than 200 nobles.

1879, the Japanese government assigned him to take monuments in western Japan. In 1883, he buried several hundred glass negatives in addition to his later tomb on the Yanaka Cemetery in Tokyo.

288349
de