Karamaru appears again!

The famous Kitagawa Utamaro has finally arrived at Koshodo.

In episode 18 of “Berabou,” Kitagawa Utamaro, the genius painter discovered by Tsutaju, appears and is welcomed as Tsutaju’s brother-in-law. Kitagawa Utamaro is known as a master of bijin-ga (portraits of beautiful women), and remains an ukiyo-e artist highly acclaimed worldwide.

His birth year, birthplace, and hometown are unknown, but in the drama he plays Karamaru, a boy who once helped Tsutaju with his work but then went missing.

They meet again in episode 18, and he confesses his tragic life story, revealing that he grew up without love from his mother, who was a prostitute, and that he was forced to sell his body from the age of seven.

He also reveals that he fled the Great Fire of Edo, leaving his mother behind when she was crushed under a building.

Later, Karamaru took on the name Sutekichi and made a living as a ghostwriter and male prostitute, living a life that was physically demanding, until Tsutaju came to his rescue.

Going forward, he will live a second life with Tsutaju. The drama also features Toriyama Sekien, from whom Utamaro is said to have learned painting.

Karamaru’s interactions with Toriyama Sekien are depicted as the only time of peace he experienced during his turbulent childhood.

Toriyama Sekien was a mid-Edo period ukiyo-e artist known for his yokai paintings. It’s said that Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of “GeGeGe no Kitaro,” was also greatly influenced by his work. It’s also worth exploring Toriyama Sekien’s yokai paintings, which serve as a surprising insight into Utamaro’s roots.

★★★A café and art museum in the land associated with Tsutaya Juzaburo★★★

“Ukiyo-e Cafe Tsutaju” at Yoshiwara Daimon Gate
Authentic Tsutaju works on display! https://www.ukiyoecafe.jp/
4-11-16 Senzoku, Taito-ku

Image Source
From Toriyama Sekien's "Illustrated Night Parade of One Hundred Demons": ① Kappa and Otter ② Tengu and Echo.
"Illustrated Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" (Edo-Tokyo Museum Collection) Source: National Book Database, https://doi.org/10.20730/100450747