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From the refined to the revolutionary, find meaning in every bloom.

This scene illustrates an episode from the chapter “The End of the Life of Kiso Yoshinaka” in The Tale of the Heike, a thirteenth-century recounting of the wars between two powerful clans, the Heike and the Genji (also called the Taira and the Minamoto). By the time this painting was…

Explore Japan's "floating world" In Edo Period Japan (1615-1868), the “floating world” was a phrase that referred to both the pleasure quarters in major cities and a pleasure-seeking way of life. The most famous of these pleasure quarters was the Yoshiwara—a walled and moated district in Edo (present-day Tokyo) where…

The Printer’s Eye introduces rarely seen ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” from the Grabhorn Collection—a superb assemblage of Japanese woodblock prints. In Edo Period Japan (1615–1868), the phrase “floating world” evoked a pleasure-seeking way of life, free from everyday obligations. Ukiyo-e depicted the many public entertainments available to…

A Geisha Performing as Toraya Toramaru (Toraya Toramaru) from An Almanac of Geisha Imitating Famous Actors (Furyu Geisha Miburi Sugata-e). By Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825). Ink and colors on paper. Gift of the Grabhorn Ukiyo-e Collection, 2005.100.100. Ukiyo-e (literally “pictures of the floating world”) is the name given to paintings and prints primarily…

Introduction During the Muromachi period (1338–1573), the vogue for Chinese art, especially among the Ashikaga shoguns, who ruled as the military leaders of Japan during this period, led to the development of new architectural environments in which to display collections of tea-related objects. Art, architecture, tea, and temple etiquette melded, to…

What is depicted here? The men climbing the roof of this snow-covered building are disenfranchised samurai (ronin) bent on exacting revenge for the death of their lord. Drawn from a popular narrative known as the Chushingura (The Storehouse of Loyalty), the story was based on historical events that occurred in the early…

What is this structure? How is it suited for defensive purposes? Himeji Castle is among the finest surviving examples of the defensive structures built in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries as samurai strongholds and symbols of power. Typically located atop a hill, the multi-storied castle keep (tower) allowed the…

In addition to superior strategic and military ability, most elite samurai were expected to be versed in the cultural arts. The warrior’s ideal balance of military and artistic skill is captured well in this description of the sixteenth century daimyo Hosokawa Yusai (1534–1610): Renowned for his elegant pursuits, he is…

Class System After 150 year of civil war, the Shogunate in Japan was determined to enforce and maintain a stable society. The Shogunate further extended its control of the people through a class system with social and economic constraints. The highest class was composed of the samurai, followed by farmers…