Minato City Through Ukiyoe

Ukiyo-e, commonly referred to in English as “woodblock prints of the floating world,” was a popular form of printed art in Japan during the Edo period, from roughly the 17th to 19th centuries. Usually, ukiyo-e art depicted scenes from the everyday life of Japanese people at the time, with a particular focus on fashion, entertainment and pleasure. In this series, we would like to share some sights from the area of the current Minato City as it was depicted through ukiyo-e at the time.

Bijin-ga, literally meaning ”beautiful woman picture,” is one of the most famous and popular genres among ukiyo-e art. Although it varies depending on the painter and the time period of production, generally the women are depicted with long-slitted eyes and puffed-up jaws. Such facial features had long been considered ideal for Japanese women.

“View of Akabane” (Shunso Utagawa, 1847)

“One Hundred Beautiful Women at Famous Places in Edo: Furukawa River” (Toyokuni Utagawa, 1858)

The above ukiyo-e paintings are owned by the Minato Local History Museum.