Tag - ukiyo-e

 
 

UKIYO E

Toyohara Kunichika experimented with established norms of composition and began spreading a single figure over three full sheets, as seen in this “Kabuki Play 'Kagamiyama Gonichi no Iwafuji'” triptych.
CULTURE / Art
Feb 15, 2025
Kunichika's vibrant ukiyo-e gets a chance to shine at anniversary exhibit
An underappreciated ukiyo-e master is the focus of the largest-ever retrospective of his work in Japan, marking the 190th anniversary of his birth.
Ayumi Matsuki, a priestess at Yoshiwara Shrine, shows off some "o-mamori" charms. She says visitors to the shrine have increased since the NHK drama “Unbound” began airing this month.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Jan 26, 2025
Tracing Tsutaya Juzaburo, Edo’s media maverick
Discover the hometown of the Yoshiwara publisher who helped shape Japan’s artistic legacy and inspired NHK’s latest period drama.
NHK’s latest taiga period drama, “Unbound,” centers on Tsutaya Juzaburo (Ryusei Yokohama), a commoner who becomes a successful bookseller and publisher.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 10, 2025
‘Unbound’ breaks NHK period drama tradition with a hero of the common folk
Public broadcaster NHK marks its 100th anniversary by flipping the script on its long-running period drama series.
"Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition" includes an installation of Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.”
CULTURE / Art
Dec 25, 2024
Step into ukiyo-e: A digital journey through Japan’s traditional art form
"Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition" uses 3D animation and projection mapping to reimagine Edo-era woodblock prints for modern audiences.
Students from Agatsuma’s butoh workshop, also part of Sumi-Yume, will be joining her and professional butoh dancer Tomoshi Shioya for this weekend’s shows.
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 8, 2024
Butoh dances to the sounds of Hokusai’s hometown
Performances of the avant-garde dance form are part of a program dedicated to the revered artist and celebrating the local community in Sumida Ward.
Utagawa Hiroshige produced several highly successful series of landscape prints over the course of his career, including “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” — the largest collection of his career.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 8, 2024
The definitive guide to Utagawa Hiroshige's masterwork is a feast for the eyes
Ukiyo-e expert Andreas Marks' new book is a rare compendium of the Japanese artist’s landscapes, even by local standards.  
Retired management professor and trekker Jitendra V. Singh completed his goal of collecting all 46 prints in the series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” in 2023.
CULTURE / Art
Mar 23, 2024
One collector’s high mountain road to Hokusai
A professor’s 30-year dream of assembling a complete set of “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji,” the pinnacle of the artist’s career, leads to an auction.
A young university grad (Kana Kita, right) is introduced to the world of "shunga" erotic art by an older academic (Seiyo Uchino) in “Picture of Spring.”
CULTURE / Film
Oct 19, 2023
‘Picture of Spring’: Smart, silly and lots of fun
Akihiko Shiota’s film about the world of Japanese erotic art feels like a crash course in “shunga” before veering into playfully risque territory.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 7, 2023
‘Japanese Yokai and Other Supernatural Beings’: Ghosts and ghouls in all their macabre glory
Ukiyo-e expert Andreas Marks digs deep into the folklore of Japan’s most terrifying creatures, detailing 100 supernatural beings with lavish illustrations.
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2023
‘Great Wave’ print sells for $2.76 million, setting new record for Hokusai
The work, formally titled 'Under the Wave off Kanagawa,' sold during a live auction featuring Japanese and Korean art at Christie’s auction house.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 7, 2023
Ukiyo-e art brings Chinese literary heroes to life
The new exhibition at the Ota Memorial Museum of Art showcases playful renderings of rogues and warriors from historical stories.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 19, 2022
Tsukioka Kogyo: The man who dedicated his art to saving noh
The ukiyo-e artist's extensive body of work devoted to Japan's oldest living form of theater has gone largely overlooked — until now.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 11, 2021
Utagawa Kuniyoshi: When censorship strikes, art gets playful
Ota Memorial Museum of Art's two-part exhibition of the woodblock print artist's works reveals his impish sense of humor.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 30, 2021
'Japanese Prints and the World of Go': Exploring the pop-cultural psyche of the Edo Period
Meme-like themes in ukiyo-e prints reveal the rich heritage of go in “Japanese Prints and the World of Go.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Sep 26, 2020
Painting with an airbrush: Meet contemporary ukiyo-e artist Masumi Ishikawa
Woodblock prints collaborations portraying major musicians and films have spurred new interest in ukiyo-e.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Sep 19, 2020
Ukiyo-e: Japan’s original pop art
Edo Period ukiyo-e were like today's popular media — celebrity photos, travel pics, snapshots of daily life — all reflecting the spirit of the times.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 3, 2020
The battle of ukiyo-e: Hokusai vs. his pupils
Refusing to be bound by tradition or convention, Hokusai bent rules and sought inspiration from all corners — but how did such audacity influence his own students and followers?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 11, 2020
'Japanese Woodblock Prints': Mass entertainment began with the humble woodblock
'Japanese Woodblock Prints' exhibits classic ukiyo-e artwork in near-original size, allowing readers to examine them in all their splendid detail. Its 200 reproductions embrace the entire history of the genre and also cover the new print movements of the early 20th century.

Longform

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