Ukiyoe EDO-LIFE

2018•5m

Centuries ago, Tokyo was known as Edo. More than a million people enjoyed life in this small but abundant city. They live on in ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Each episode is a deep dive into a single print, and an exploration of the soul of Old Tokyo. We examine works by artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige not just for their aesthetic and historical value, but for the stories they tell of everyday life. That is how the people of Edo themselves enjoyed this mass-produced medium.

Production

Seasons

5 Episodes • Premiered 2018

1. The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai

Discover story behind the "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" woodprint series; "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Hokusai. It is not just a huge wave and Mt. Fuji, the boat caught in the wave have a reason.

2. Reproduction of Nihonbashi: Morning Scene by Utagawa Hiroshige

Mornings begin early for fishmongers and vegetable peddlers at Nihonbashi Bridge, and here is a reason. They are not going to bow to the lord's procession. The bustling scene from everyday Edo life.

3. The Series Summer Outfits by Kitagawa Utamaro

At dusk in summer, a woman is absorbed in reading a letter. This chic lady is actually an advertisement model for Mitsui Echigoya, one of the top kimono fabric stores in Edo.

4. Plum Estate Kameido by Utagawa Hiroshige

With its splendid branches and white plum blossoms, this famous painting is known for captivating Van Gogh. Discover why people were able to tell this was a specific tree at Kameido Umeyashiki.

5. Three Beauties of the Present Day by Kitagawa Utamaro

The top 3 female celebrities in Edo: Tomimoto Toyohina, Takashima Ohisa and Naniwaya Kita. See how Utamaro, the master of female beauty has illustrated them so differently.

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