10 Most Influential Ukiyo-e Prints of All Time (Part 1)
10 Most Influential Ukiyo-e Prints of All Time (Part 1)


10 Most Influential Ukiyo-e Prints of All Time (Part 1)

Ukiyo-e, the traditional Japanese woodblock print art form, flourished during the Edo period and became one of the most influential artistic movements, not only in Japan but also across the Western world.

From as early as the 17th century, Japan pioneered large-scale art printing through Ukiyo-e—often translated as “pictures of the floating world.” This genre captured scenes of everyday life, including beautiful women, landscapes, warriors and heroes, kabuki actors, and shunga (erotic art). Thanks to mass production, Ukiyo-e artists rose to fame in a way comparable to modern celebrities.

Spanning from the 17th to the 19th century, below are ten of the most important Ukiyo-e prints of all time.

1. The Great Wave off Kanagawa

The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai, 1830
Source: British Museum

Perhaps the most famous Ukiyo-e print ever created, The Great Wave off Kanagawa comes from Hokusai’s iconic series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. The image gained immense popularity among European collectors, particularly in France, and has inspired countless reinterpretations over the centuries.

2. Plum Garden at Kameido Shrine

Plum Garden at Kameido Shrine by Utagawa Hiroshige, 1857
Source: British Museum

This print is part of Hiroshige’s series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. Vincent van Gogh famously copied this work in 1887, helping elevate its influence in Western art. The plum tree depicted—known as the “Sleeping Dragon Plum Tree”—symbolizes purity, with its white blossoms believed to ward off darkness from the soul.

3. Station Thirty-Two: Seba

Station Thirty-Two: Seba by Utagawa Hiroshige, late 1830s
Source: Museum of East Asian Art Cologne

This print belongs to the Kisokaidō Road series, which Hiroshige completed after it was left unfinished by Keisai Eisen. Known for his expansive landscapes, Hiroshige often portrayed seasonal changes, nature, and everyday rituals, making his works deeply relatable and widely admired.

4. The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife

The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife by Katsushika Hokusai, 1814
Source: theartstory.org

This print is part of a three-volume shunga (erotic art) book titled Young Pines. It is one of the most famous examples of Edo-period erotic art. Despite strict censorship under the Tokugawa shogunate, artists found creative ways to depict intimacy without explicitly violating the law. While it may appear shocking today, such imagery was widely circulated and commonly found in households at the time.

5. Takashima Ohisa, a Teahouse Waitress

Takashima Ohisa, a Teahouse Waitress by Katsukawa Shunchō, 1790s
Source: British Museum

Depictions of beautiful women (bijin-ga) often showcased the latest hairstyles and fashion trends, adding to their appeal among the general public. The term Ukiyo-e, meaning “floating world,” sometimes referred to the pleasure districts, including teahouses and geisha culture. In this print, Shunchō portrays Ohisa with refined elegance, partially hiding her face behind a fan decorated with her personal emblem—three oak leaves. Her summer attire and the shimmering mica background enhance the print’s visual charm and sophistication.

See Part 2 here.