Pop Japan

Woodblock printing had been a formidable traditional art form in East Asia. And Japan surely did not fell behind among the countries in the said region.

Called as ukiyo-e in Japan, the movement was said to flourish beginning the 17th century. The term came from two Japanese words, ukiyo which literally means "floating world" and e which means "picture."

The 17th century in Japan was the time of the military dictatorship. Life had been tough for merchants and so a lot of forms of entertainment had also been established like the kabuki, the geisha and the courtesans. Thus the artwork depicting these floating world images became known as ukiyo-e.

This painting is entitled, Woman in Blue Combing Her Hair, by Hashiguchi Goyo. 

Tags: tradition, woodblock, printing, east asia, japan, ukiyo e, ukiyo, floating world, e, picture, military dictatorship, geisha, kabuki, courtesan