To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Hiraki Ukiyo-e Foundation on Sept. 11, this exhibition at the foundation’s UKIYO-e TOKYO museum is exhibiting works from “The 53 Stages of the Tokaido” (“Tokaido Gojusan-tsugi”), Hiroshige Utagawa’s well-known series of ukiyo-e (woodblock prints).
Ukiyo-e, which usually portrayed Japanese actors and travel destinations, became popular during the Edo Period (1600-1868) because they could be mass-produced and were affordable. When a subject was particularly popular, artists sometimes created new editions, making design changes for each series. Hiroshige made around 30 series of “The 53 Stages of the Tokaido,” some works of which are being displayed at this show.
Visitors will be able to not only glimpse Edo Period life, but also compare differences between earlier and later editions of prints; till Oct. 30.
UKIYO-e TOKYO; (03) 6910-1290; 2-4-9 Toyosu, Koto-ku; 5-min walk from Toyosu Station, Yuraku-cho line. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. ¥500. Closed Mon., Sept. 20, and Oct. 11; open Sept. 19 and Oct 10. www.ukiyoe-tokyo.or.jp.