Captivated by the continuous one-shot column “ ” / Part 6 Tadashi Kobayashi Captivated by “Ukiyo-e”

Captivated by “Ukiyo-e”

Ukiyo-e, an art form born in Edo (present-day Tokyo) during the Edo period, has been loved by people all over the world as a cultural heritage representative of Japan. It is well known that in the second half of the 19th century, it had a great influence on Impressionist painters such as Manet, Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh.

Ukiyo-e was originally born and developed as an art form for townspeople, but its love was not limited to the townspeople of Edo; it was also enjoyed by the samurai of various feudal domains who were forced to stay in Edo for as long as a year in accordance with the sankin kotai. It was also warmly welcomed by farmers from the Tenryo region (territory under the direct control of the shogunate) who came for litigation or sightseeing. Beautiful colored prints that could not be found in rural areas were light and cheap, and were transported all over the country as great souvenirs, where they were welcomed with gratitude and joy, and were called ``Azuma Nishiki-e'' or ``Edo-e.'' Therefore, viewers of ukiyo-e were free from differences and biases based on class and region, and were expected to express beauty in a way that was easy to understand even in a single print. Because ukiyo-e is rooted in such universal humanity and humanism, it is full of nostalgic and heart-warming expressions for everyone, and continues to be loved by modern Japanese, who have different customs, and even by people all over the world. That's why.

At first, the subjects of ukiyo-e were mainly portraits of beautiful women and kabuki actors, but eventually they expanded to include landscape paintings and paintings of flowers and birds. Landscape paintings were especially welcomed by people in a time when it was not as easy to travel as they are today, as they allowed people to learn about the scenery and customs of various places through pictures. In addition to famous spots in Edo, nearby tourist spots, especially Enoshima, Mt. Daisen, and Hakone, are often used as subjects. Other post series such as the 53rd station on the Tokaido and the 69th station on the Nakasendo (Kiso Kaido) were also well received. The 53 Stations of the Tokaido deals with nine post towns in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture, including Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Hodogaya, Totsuka, Fujisawa, Hiratsuka, Oiso, Odawara, and Hakone, and depicts the scenery and people's lives of the towns and villages of the past. You can specifically remember the first time.

Even if you can't come into contact with the real thing, why not try experiencing the charm of ukiyo-e through art books or art programs on TV? I'm sure you, too, will fall in love with ukiyo-e.

KOBAYASHI Tadashi
Born in Tokyo in 1941. Completed master's program at the University of Tokyo. He has served as a member of the painting room at the Tokyo National Museum, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Letters at Nagoya University, director of the Information Research Laboratory at the Tokyo National Museum, a professor in the Faculty of Letters at Gakushuin University, and director of the Chiba City Museum of Art. Currently professor emeritus at Gakushuin University, director of the Okada Art Museum, and president of the International Ukiyo-e Society. His main publications include ``Edo Painting History'' (Suntory Academic Award), ``Reading Edo Ukiyo-e,'' ``Edo Ukiyo-e,'' and ``Edo Painting.''