Ukiyo-e

浮世絵 (Japanese)

Ukiyo-e are "Picures of the Floating World." It is a genre of art that originated as a specialty product of Edo (Tokyo) and first depicted prostitutes and the pleasure quarter. Over time, Ukiyo-e topics expanded to include everything from famous people and places, travel, myths, legends, theater, actors, nature and the pleasures of the daily life of townspeople.

Today, the term Ukiyo-e is often merged with woodblock prints, the printing method most associated with Ukiyo art.