Abstract

From the most famous artists to “So what’s actually so great about this picture?”, this is the definitive guide to ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock prints and paintings of the Edo period), a popular art form that Japan is proud to share with the world.
Supervised by Masumi Horiguchi, whose YouTube channel has more than 100,000 subscribers!

What exactly is ukiyo-e?
Who was the first to make ukiyo-e?
Honestly, what’s so amazing about Katsushika Hokusai?
Besides the artists, who else was involved in making ukiyo-e?
What kinds of ukiyo-e are there?

This book answers all of these simple questions in just two hours.
Once you’ve turned the last page, you’re sure to love ukiyo-e.

◆From the Supervisor’s Introduction
Forgive me for asking, but could you give me just two hours? You can read it all at once, or a little at a time over several days. If you give me that much time, even if you’ve always wondered “What is ukiyo-e, anyway?”, I’m sure you’ll come to love it. And if you already love ukiyo-e, you’ll love it even more deeply. That is the idea behind this book.
Don’t overthink it. A relaxed attitude of “Let’s find a favorite work or a favorite artist” is all you need. If this book makes you think even a little, “Ukiyo-e is fun!”, nothing would make me happier. As the supervisor, I would be delighted if this book became your doorway down the ukiyo-e rabbit hole.

Author’s Information

Masumi Horiguchi (Supervisor)
Born in Tokyo. A history personality, history writer, and history YouTuber. While majoring in theater studies at the School of Arts and Letters, Meiji University, she studied the history of kabuki and began training as an actor at the Bungakuza theater company’s acting school. After graduating, she worked as an actress and became the youngest person ever to pass Level 1 of the Edo Culture and History Certification Exam. Known as the “O-Edol,” a TV personality who knows almost too much about Edo (old Tokyo), she shares many videos on her YouTube channel “Holly to Oedo, Iine!” and is also active in writing, events, and lectures.
Her books include “Oedo Hanagata Eshi Kurabe” (A Showdown of Edo’s Star Artists; Yamakawa Shuppansha), “Oedo 24-ji” (24 Hours in Edo: Sightseeing Commoners’ Lives through Ukiyo-e; KADOKAWA), four books from PHP Institute (on the 51 members of the Tokugawa and Matsudaira families, kabuki, the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter, and everyday life in Edo), “Munekyun?! Nihonshi” (Heart-Fluttering Japanese History; Shueisha), and “TOKUGAWA 15” (Soshisha).