Japan is home to several traditional crafts which they are truly proud of. Some of the crafts included in the list are paper folding, cloth folding, and calligraphy. Woodblock printing is another type of craft native to the Japanese. It displays not only the beauty of Japan and its people but also their story.
Woodblock printing or Ukiyo-e in Japanese are paintings with different themes and subjects. Some of the most popular subjects for Ukiyo-e paintings are Japanese landscapes, women, kabuki actors, scenes from history, and folk tales. It was a usual home decoration for merchants and royalties during that time as it was very pricey.
Ukiyo-e is made by etching outlines in a woodblock then letting the ink drip along the outline. Several colors are used to make the painting pop but the most used colors are - red, black, and white, the colors of beauty in Japan. Ukiyo-e is unique to Japan and you will easily recognize it once you see it. It has been an inspiration to many western artists in their artworks - Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh to name some.
Here are some of the famous Ukiyo-e from Japan.
Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai
A Winter Party by Utagawa Toyoharu
Kacho-ga by Hokusai
Now, some ukiyo-e also have pop culture references:
The Ice Queen
One Piece
Civil War
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