Come on the journey from Edo, modern day Tokyo, to Kyoto, as experienced by Utagawa Hiroshige in, when he travelled the road to participate in an important procession in 1832. There were 53 post stations along this important road, apart from the start and terminus, in all 55 prints, which are all here in the order from Edo to Kyoto, In the Hoeido edition (1833-34). This was the most popular print series ever made in Japan. It was even more popular than Hokusai series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which had been recently published and which had influenced Hiroshige tremendously (ISBN ES 978-8-411-744-935). It is possible to travel the same road today and some villages are still looking quite like they did back then. The postal stations were constructed between 1601 and 1624.

This was the most popular print series ever made in Japan. It was even more popular series ever made in Japan. It was even more popular than the Hokusai series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which had been recently published and which had influenced Hiroshige tremendously (ISBN 9783756844104). There were 53 post stations along this important road, apart from the start and terminus, in all 55 prints, which are all here in the order from Edo to Kyoto, as in the Hoeido edition (1833-34).

Exquisite depictions of romantically idealized landscapes from woodcut master's superb Fifty-three Stages on the Tokaido. Reproduced from the Collection of the Elvehjem Museum of Art. Includes The Bridge on the Toyo River, The Ferryboat at Rokugo, The Junction of the Pilgrims' Road and Mt. Fuji in the Morning from Hara.

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was the most influential and prolific woodblock print artist of Meiji Japan. This book presents his masterpiece: the wildly popular One Hundred Aspects of the Moon. The series was begun in 1885 and completed just before the artist's death in 1892. New designs were eagerly awaited, with editions selling out before dawn on the day of publication. The introduction of this book comprehensively treats the artist's life and work. Each of the one hundred images in the series is shown here in full color. The Tokaido gojusan tsui, created in 1845, is one of the most well-known and fascinating examples of woodblock prints inspired by the road.

This classic Japanese story of humor and adventure is available here for the first time in digital format. A pair of irrepressible scoundrels are the heroes of this madcap chronicle of adventure, full of earthy humor, along the great highway from Tokyo to Kyoto. The lusty tale of their disreputable doings is Japan's most celebrated comic novel. Shank's Mare was originally issued serially beginning in 1802, and was so successful that the author wrote numerous sequels, appearing year by year, until 1822. This novel portrays all the varied colors in Japan's Tokugawa era and its humor typifies the brash and devil-may-care attitude of the residents of Tokyo, both then and now.

All the way through Hiroshige follows certain design principles of proportion of elements, arranging elements and views by diagonals and parallels and balancing of color elements. Compared to most of his other Tokaido series Hiroshige in Aritaya focus on letting the landscape tell the story instead of letting people or legend do that, although this is not followed through completely.

Originally published in 1852 and 1853, The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaid? is a richly entertaining series of woodblock prints created by master artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797-1861). The seventy-two finely executed prints include one for each resting point along the well-traveled Kisokaid? (Kiso Road)-a historic route stretching from Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto-plus views of the two endpoint cities and an additional series title page. Kuniyoshi never traveled the mountainous Kisokaid?, but he drew from historic events, kabuki plays, popular legends, and classical literature to illustrate his vision of the towns and stations along the road. This stunning collection of colorful ukiyo-e prints exhibits Kuniyoshi's artistic mastery and clever sense of humor. Each work incorporates three elements: the main picture, an inset landscape depicting the particular station, and a title block. Using parody and pun (both for humor and to avoid government censorship), Kuniyoshi associated each point on the route with one of the most beloved stories of his day-from a reimagined Odyssey to the Japanese fairy tale of Urashima to popular kabuki scenes with courtesans and other "floating world" characters. He made that story the subject of the main picture and put clues to its identity in the title block. Kuniyoshi delighted in these hidden messages and used every inch of the paper to tell his story. Utagawa Kuniyoshi: The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaid? celebrates the beauty, charm, and ingenuity of Kuniyoshi's work with more than seventy-five full-color illustrations, including reproductions of all the prints in the treasured series. Sarah E. Thompson provides an introductory essay on the history of ukiyo-e and a description of each print. Sarah E. Thompson, Assistant Curator for Japanese Prints at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, received her PhD from Columbia University. She taught Japanese and Asian art history at Vassar College, Oberlin College, and the University of Oregon and curated several exhibitions of Japanese prints before coming to the MFA in 2004. She is now supervising the Japanese Print Access and Documentation Project, whose ultimate goal is to photograph and catalogue all fifty thousand Japanese prints in the MFA collection.