Japanese Prints 1868–2008

Abstract

This chapter examines the evolution of Japanese prints from 1868 to 2008. It begins with a discussion of the history of the Japanese graphic print industry during the period 1868–1912, with particular emphasis on the influence of photography and the use of woodblock prints to record historical events. It then considers innovators within the old woodblock traditions up to 1912, along with new directions that would raise both the status and aesthetic aims of graphic art in 1900–1941. It also explores the transformations of ukiyo-e during the period 1890–1941; the folk art movement and its influence on prints; Japanese prints during the war years; the success of the Sōsaku Hanga variety during the Occupation (1945–1952); changes in the print industry after the Occupation; and the developing relationship between painting and printmaking. The chapter concludes with an assessment of the impact of the death in 1989 of the emperor Shōwa on the field of prints.