Before 23 October 1868 - in a period called the Edo era (1603-1868), referring to the fact that the capital of Japan (Tokyo) was then still called Edo - Japan had isolated itself almost completely from the outside world, thus allowing its culture and art to evolve in a most idiosyncratic fashion. Apart from China and Korea only a very small delegation of people from the Netherlands - relegated to the island of Deshima located in the harbour of Nagasaki - were allowed to trade with Japan at that time.

The prints and picture books shown on this page were designed during this time of Japanese history.

Note the wonderful stylized ways in which Japanese woodblock print designers managed to capture the movement of flowing water, as can be seen in Harunobu’s ‘A girl collecting chrysanthemum dew by the stream’ and in Hiroshige’s tryptich ‘The whirlpools at Naruto in the province of Awa’.

Click on any of the images shown below to find out more about these prints and picture books - their size, publication date, provenance, enlargements, the English translation of the Japanese texts on each print, et cetera.

Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - A story of love on the veranda	Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - A girl collecting chrysanthemum dew by the stream	Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - Beauty visiting a shrine on a rainy night
Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - Autumn moon in the mirror	Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - Evening snow	Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - Evening bell of the clock
Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - Returning sails of the towel rack	Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - An elegantly dressed beauty	Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) - Evening glow of the lamp
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) -  The whirlpools at Naruto in the province of Awa (left)	Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) - The whirlpools at Naruto in the province of Awa (middle)	Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) - The whirlpools at Naruto in the province of Awa (right)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) - Tree peony and butterfly	Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806) - Two courtisanes	Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) - Mount Fuji in clear weather
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) - Ehon Sumida Gawa Ryōgan Ichiran Jō	Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) - Ehon Sumida Gawa Ryōgan Ichiran Chū	Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) - Ehon Sumida Gawa Ryōgan Ichiran Ka