EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Among the most iconic works of Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints that are known today are those of landscapes, works such as Katsushika Hokusai’s “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (Part One) and Utagawa Hiroshige’s “Fifty-three Stations on the Tokaido” (Part Two). Yet other genres of Ukiyo-e prints were equally popular in their day and their popularity differed by region. In Edo, or present-day Tokyo in the east, the Bijin-ga (prints of Japanese beauties) and Yakusha-e (prints of actors) were highly sought after, while in Osaka, or western Japan, Kabuki fans preferred Yakusha-e. The Tokyo Fuji Art Museum exhibition, “From Hokusai to Hiroshige: Grand Masters of Ukiyo-e Art from TFAM’s Permanent Collection”, features some 250 woodblock prints by 30 artists, including newly acquired Utagawa Kuniyoshi prints from our private Ukiyo-e collection, providing a fascinating glimpse into the wondrous world of the Ukiyo-e created in both eastern and western Japan.