Harunobu is thought to have made his debut in the world of Ukiyo-e in around Hōreki 10 (1760). An actor print on the subject of the play “Soga Mannen-bashira” held at the Ichimura-za Theatre in the 6th month of that year, this work depicts Bandō Hikosaburō as Sugegasa Hanshichi, his family crest as well as the verse, “Sasowarete Kaze no aji min Susukihara (Tempted by the breeze, have a taste of it, fields of pampas grass)”.
Once in the Meiwa Period (1764-72) and after the founding of the nishiki-e, brocade print, there were hardly any actor prints produced at all. It was Harunobu who allegedly said, “I am a Yamato-e (Japanese classical) artist, why should I draw such low beings as actors?”, yet he seems to have put his hand to many hosoban (narrow format), benizuri (pink and green-printed) actor prints like this, in imitation of the actor prints of Torii Kiyomasa (1835-85) whose activity coincided with the early part of Harunobu’s career. The publisher, as given by “Suzuki-han” is only seen in works around this time. However, since confirmation in recent years of a certain “Edobashi Honchō Nichōme, Suzuki Iheemon-kaihan” in the colophon of Ehon Wakamidori (Picture Book: Verdant Green) [published in Horeki 11 (1861)] in the MFA, Boston collection, it is assumed that it was this publisher who took on publishing of Harunobu’s early-period works.