The Ukiyo-e Edo Art Prints have been passed down through generations of craftsmen and have been succeeded by craftsmen centered in Tokyo up until this day.

The ukiyo-e pieces that are exhibited are all ukiyo-e reprints created by carvers and surishis who hold the same techniques from the Edo era.

By looking at the colorful usage of colors, you can feel the romanticism of taking a time slip 150 years ago to the Edo time period.

The exhibit features works not only Katsushika Hokusai, but also Utamaro Kitagawa, Sharaku Toshusai, and Hiroshige Utagawa throughout the exhibition period.
Many colorful ukiyo-e prints seen by the people of the Edo era will come back to life in the present.

What is Ukiyo-e・Edo Woodblock Prints?

This is the colorful carving techniques unique to Japan which bloomed in the Edo era.
Approximately 200 years ago, Ukiyo-e woodblock prints became highly popular among the people of Edo as full-color prints that may be enjoyed by many and became a technique and culture that is still carried out to this day.

Artists drew the sketch and carvers added color by carving the wood, which is then printed on traditional Japanese paper by Surishi crafters in multiple layers. The sketch drawn by Hokusai and Utamaro is gone through the carving process. In addition to the 3 craftsmen described above, the Edo woodblock print is brought together by the technique of the publisher who plans and oversees the work.

By creating a complete division of tasks, an exquisite technique which cannot be found anywhere was created.
That technique has been passed down directly by the hands of the craftsmen for the past 170 years and have been succeeded by craftsmen centered in Tokyo up until this day. The ukiyo-e pieces that are exhibited are all ukiyo-e reprints created by carvers and surishis who hold the same techniques from the Edo period.

Kameido Umeyashiki

「Kameido Umeyashiki」is the most renowned piece of Utagawa Hiroshige.
It is part of the「One Hundred Famous Views of Edo」which was a series created in Hiroshige’s latest days.
In the eastern part of the Kameido Tenjin Shrine, several hundreds of plum trees were planted and had one of Edo’s most prestigious plum garden「Seikouan」. This piece portrays the famous tree「Garyubai」which has been told that it has been named by Mito Mitsukuni. It is well known that Van Gogh had studied the modern composition of this piece by attempting to replicate this piece.