Ukiyo-e are "pictures of
the floating world". It was born in the metropolitan culture of Edo
(Tokyo) at a special junction in Japanese history. During the Tokugawa
period (1603-1868), the shogun demanded that the daimyo and their sumurai
spend time in Edo during alternate years. Due to this requirement,
the recreation and entertainment industry began to blossom in Edo.
This booming industry became know as uikyo or "floating world". Uikyo-e
brings to mind the pleasures of teahouses, theatres, restaurants, and courtesans.
Adding to this "sophisticated" floating world of pleasures, there is also
the traditional Japanese love of nature, and ukiyo-e artists like Hiroshige
whose work you will get to sample, has greatly influenced landscape painting
ever since. Traditional ukiyo-e declined throughout the Meiji period
(1868-1912), and was supplanted by the "new prints" (shin-hanga) and "creative
prints" (sosaku-hanga) of the Taisho (1912-1926) and Showa (1926-1989)
periods.