Hachimonjiya Jisho (八文字屋自笑)

Jisho HACHIMONJIYA (year of birth unknown - December 3, 1745) was a Ukiyozoshi (Literally, Books of the Floating World) writer and hanmoto (publisher).

His family name was Ando, and he was the second or third generation of publisher Hachizaemon HACHIMONJIYA in Kyoto. He took over his family business around 1688 and published Kyogen (farce played during a Noh cycle) books with illustration. From around 1696, he affiliated with Kiseki EJIMA, the ghost-writer. Keisei Iro-jamisen' and 'Yakusha Kuchi Samisen' written by Kiseki became the basis of hyoban-ki (books of public estimation on various matters) of actors and Ukiyozoshi. He came to a rupture with Kiseki from around 1710, they reconciled in 1718 and then he became Kiseki's publisher. After the death of Kiseki in 1735, he published Ukiyozoshi written by Nanrei TADA, which were known as Hachimonjiya-bon (books published by the Hachimonjiya). He also published picture books written by Sukenobu NISHIKAWA.

[Original Japanese]