The Ten Most Important Ukiyo-e Art Prints of All Time

Japanese woodblock printing, known as Ukiyo-e, became highly popular and influential during the Edo Period, impacting not only Japan but also Western art.

True mass production of art printing flourished in Japan as early as the 1600s through Ukiyo-e prints. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, artists like Hiroshige, Hokusai, and Kunichika became household names. Their widely produced prints made them famous, comparable to kabuki actors, military heroes, or celebrated teahouse beauties. The most renowned Ukiyo-e prints fall into five main categories: portraits of beautiful women, landscapes, warriors and heroes, kabuki actors, and shunga (explicit erotic art). Spanning three centuries, the following are the ten most significant Ukiyo-e prints.

1. The Great Wave off Kanagawa

The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai, created in 1830 as part of his series 36 Views of Mount Fuji, is the most famous Ukiyo-e print ever. Celebrated in Europe, particularly by French collectors, it has been reproduced extensively over the centuries and remains a symbol of Japanese art worldwide.

2. The Plum Garden at Kameido Shrine

Utagawa Hiroshige’s The Plum Garden at Kameido Shrine (1857) belongs to his series One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo. The print inspired Van Gogh in 1887 and became one of the most influential Ukiyo-e artworks. Featuring the Sleeping Dragon Plum tree, praised for its pure double white blossoms, the print symbolized spiritual clarity and beauty.

3. Station Thirty-Two: Seba

Also by Hiroshige, Station Thirty-Two: Seba is part of the One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo. Hiroshige completed this print to finish the Kisokaidō highway series abandoned by Keisai Eisen. His designs often depict people engaged in seasonal activities, rituals, or nature-related tasks, capturing everyday Edo life with elegance.

4. Tako to Ama: The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife

The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife by Hokusai (1814) falls under shunga, a category of explicit erotic Ukiyo-e art. Despite restrictions by the Tokugawa shogunate, the print depicts sexual acts creatively without violating censorship laws. Popular in households of the time, it offers a glimpse into Edo-era erotic imagination.

5. The Teahouse Waitress Takashima Ohisa

Katsukawa Shunchō’s print from the 1790s portrays a celebrated teahouse beauty. Ukiyo-e prints of women highlighted contemporary fashion, hairstyles, and subtle erotic appeal. This particular work shows Ohisa covering her face with a fan bearing her crest, while her garments and shimmering background reflect the elegance and seasonal charm of the period.

6. The Beloved Wife’s Particolored Reins

Tōshūsai Sharaku’s 1794 print depicts kabuki actor Otani Oniji III as Edobei in Koi nyobo somewake tazuna. Kabuki actor prints were immensely popular, portraying dramatic expressions, vivid colors, and dynamic scenes. These works celebrate individual actors’ styles and the theatrical culture that remains central to Japanese performance art.

7. The Sea at Satta in Suruya Province

Hiroshige’s landscape The Sea at Satta in Suruya Province (1859) reflects Hokusai’s influence with its sweeping waves. Landscape prints became increasingly popular after the 1830s, signaling a shift from urban and human subjects to nature-focused designs. These prints often served as mementos of famous travel destinations like Mount Fuji.

8. Evening Glow at Ryōgoku Bridge

Torii Kiyonaga’s Evening Glow at Ryōgoku Bridge (1782) demonstrates the use of single-point perspective influenced by European art. The print depicts a view through a round window, creating a realistic sense of depth. This stylistic evolution highlights the cross-cultural exchange affecting Ukiyo-e composition and spatial design.

9. Toki Jūrōzaemon Mitsuchika

Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s print from Heroes of the Great Peace (1848–1850) belongs to the warrior series, which often combined political messages with historical narrative. Restricted from depicting contemporary violence, artists used historical settings or animal symbolism to convey stories of heroism, resistance, and drama. Kuniyoshi’s work shows a warrior aiding wounded comrades while maintaining narrative subtlety and compositional complexity.

10. View of Maruyama in Nagasaki

Utagawa Hiroshige II’s View of Maruyama in Nagasaki (1859) captures classic Edo-era Ukiyo-e elements. Two women, likely sex workers, occupy the foreground, wearing traditional robes, while Western-influenced perspective elevates the background, demonstrating innovations in depth and spatial arrangement. This print exemplifies the fusion of traditional themes with stylistic modernization in late Edo Ukiyo-e.

These ten prints highlight the range, innovation, and cultural significance of Ukiyo-e, from portraits and landscapes to erotic and theatrical depictions. Spanning centuries, they offer insight into Japanese aesthetics, social life, and the international impact of woodblock printmaking.