ukiyo

Ukiyo, literally “the floating world,” is a Japanese term for the transient, pleasure-seeking urban culture that flourished in Edo-period Japan (c. 1603–1868). Rooted in Buddhist ideas of impermanence, ukiyo described daily life in cities such as Edo (modern Tokyo), Kyoto, and Osaka, including entertainment districts, theater, teahouses, fashion, and social life.

Ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” is the best-known artistic expression of ukiyo. Woodblock printing enabled the mass production and wide distribution of images. Common subjects included landscapes, beauty portraits (bijin-ga), actor portraits (yakusha-e), courtesans, and, to a lesser extent, erotica (shunga). The prints arose from collaborations among designers, carvers, printers, and publishers, and they evolved through multi-block color printing techniques.

Notable artists associated with ukiyo-e include Hokusai, Hiroshige, Utamaro, Kuniyoshi, and Sharaku. Iconic works include Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa and the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. Ukiyo-e influenced Western art in the 19th century, contributing to Japonisme and helping shape movements such as Impressionism.

Beyond prints, the term ukiyo also appears as a broader cultural reference to Edo-period city life in scholarship and popular media. In art history and cultural studies, it is used to discuss the aesthetics, social networks, and consumer culture of early modern Japan.