Sakanaya Eikichi (魚屋栄吉) (publisher ca 1855 – 1866)

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Biography:

Edo print publisher (Marks 442). Artists published by this house include Gengyo, Hiroshige, Hiroshige II, Kunisada II, Kuniyoshi, Toyokuni III and Yoshimori.

[Artists in the Lyon Collection who were published by this house have their names highlighted in bold type.]

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Often referred to as Uoya Eikichi. The 'Uoya' can also be read as 'Sakanaya'.

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"Not much is known about Sakanaya Eikichi who was active for a rather short period... Sakanaya was the only publisher located at Shitaya Shinkuromonchō. The earliest works he produced are serialized and unserialized actor prints by Kunisada, who eventually became the foremost artist Sakanay worked with. Deluxe printing and high quality paper quickly enabled him to reach out to demanding and hard to please customers. In 1856, he undertook an ambitious project by issuing the first prints of Hiroshige's last masterpiece series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" (Meisho Edo Hyakkei). During two years, until Hiroshige passed away in 1858, 118 different views were published. In an attempt to continue the series, one more followed by Hiroshige II, published in the fourth month of 1859. Shortly thereafter Sakanaya the first designs of Hiroshige II's similar large-scale series "One Hundred Views of Famous Places in the Various Provinces" (Shokoku meisho hyakkei) that he produced until 1861. When Hiroshige passed away, Sakanaya issued Kunisada's memorial portrait of Hiroshige, the one and only memorial portrait of him that was published."

Quoted from: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900 by Andreas Marks, p. 302.