Kusakabe went by his given name Kimbei because foreign clients found it easier to pronounce than Kusakabe. By 1901 he operated the largest photography studio in Japan, with a catalogue exceeding two thousand images, primarily serving Western tourists who wanted hand-coloured views of Japanese life to take home.
Key facts
- Lived
- 1841–1934, Japanese
- Movement
Biography
He was born in 1841 and began his career as a hand-colouring assistant to the Italian-British photographer Felice Beato and Baron Raimund von Stillfried. He opened his own studio in Yokohama in 1881. Over time he acquired the negatives of both Beato and Stillfried, giving him control of the most comprehensive photographic archive of Meiji-era Japan. His hand-coloured albumen prints of temples, landscapes, geisha and daily life are now among the most collected images of nineteenth-century Japan.
He retired from photography in 1914 to spend his remaining years painting. His hand-coloured albumen prints of temples, landscapes, geisha and daily life are now among the most collected images of nineteenth-century Japan.
The colouring was done by teams of artists working from standardised palettes, giving the prints a consistency that made them function as a visual encyclopaedia of Meiji-era customs and architecture, much of which has since been lost to modernisation and war. He retired from photography in 1914 to spend his remaining years painting. He died in 1934, at ninety-three.
Timeline
- 1841Born in Kofu, Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture), Japan.
- 1857At about 16, left Kofu for Yokohama to work as a photographic colourist and assistant in the studio of the Italian photographer Felice Beato.
- 1881At 40, opened his own photographic studio in the Benten-dori quarter of Yokohama, specialising in hand-coloured albumen prints.
- 1889At 48, relocated to larger premises in the Honmachi quarter of Yokohama, expanding to meet growing demand from Western tourists and collectors.
- 1893At 52, established his studio as the leading supplier of photographic art to Western customers in Japan, known for his bijinga-style portraits of geisha.
- 1934Died aged 93, having produced an estimated 60% of surviving Yokohama photographs and becoming the most prolific photographer of Meiji-era Japan.
Notable Works
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Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kusakabe Kimbei known for?
Kusakabe Kimbei is known for his hand-coloured albumen prints of temples, landscapes, geisha, and daily life in Meiji-era Japan. These prints are now among the most collected images of nineteenth-century Japan.Who was Kusakabe Kimbei?
Kusakabe Kimbei was a Japanese photographer who operated the largest photography studio in Japan by 1901. He primarily served Western tourists, providing hand-coloured views of Japanese life.What was Kusakabe Kimbei's art style?
His studio produced hand-coloured albumen prints using teams of artists working from standardised palettes. This gave the prints a consistency that functioned as a visual encyclopaedia of Meiji-era customs and architecture.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Kusakabe Kimbei.
- [1] museum Harvard Art Museums Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] book issn_75178869 Used for: biography.
- [3] book Patricia J. Graham, Japanese Design Used for: biography.
- [4] book Helen Merritt; Nanako Yamada, Woodblock Kuchi-e Prints _ Reflections of Meiji Culture Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-24. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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