Born in 1750 inside the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter of Edo, Tsutaya grew up where glamour and sorrow, desire and dreams all intersected. Opening a bookshop called Kōshodō in his twenties near Yoshiwara's great gate, he quickly established himself through commercial instinct and aesthetic judgment. More than a publisher, he functioned as a talent scout — discovering and backing unknown writers and artists. He became the publisher for popular gesaku writers like Santo Kyoden and Ota Nampo, establishing the "kyoka picture-book" as a new genre. His crowning achievement was launching two artists who had been entirely unknown: Toshusai Sharaku, whose bold close-up actor portraits shocked the art world, and Kitagawa Utamaro, whose sensuous bijinga defined an era. Tsutaya recognized their genius at a glance and invested without hesitation. When Matsudaira Sadanobu's Kansei Reforms of 1791 cracked down on publishing deemed morally loose, Tsutaya was punished with confiscation of half his assets. He continued regardless, until his death at just 47 in 1797. The name "TSUTAYA" lives on in modern Japan's largest bookstore chain, carrying forward his spirit of connecting people with books.

His Yoshiwara upbringing gave him sharp insight into human nature and an uncanny nose for talent. A defiant publisher who refused to bow to authority even when punished.

His discovery and promotion of Sharaku and Utamaro — two of ukiyo-e's greatest masters — is an immeasurable contribution to Japanese art. The modern TSUTAYA chain (Culture Convenience Club) was named in his honor. The most important figure in driving Edo's publishing culture.