Meiji Era
明治時代
1868–1912
About the Meiji Era
The Meiji era brought Japan's rapid modernization and opening to the West, profoundly disrupting traditional woodblock printing. As photography and lithography arrived, ukiyo-e declined commercially. Yet the period also saw innovative transitional works blending Western perspective and shading with Japanese subjects. Artists documented Japan's transformation—new railways, Western dress, and military campaigns—while the Japonisme movement in Europe created new demand for traditional prints abroad.
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Movements (3)
Artistic movements active during the Meiji Era
Artists (284)
Artists active during the Meiji Era

Yashima Gakutei
八島岳亭
1786–1868

Torii Kiyomine
鳥居清峰
1787–1868

Kikuchi Yōsai
菊池容斎
1788–1878

Utagawa Kunitsuna
歌川国綱
1805–1868

Utagawa Sadahide
歌川貞秀
1807–1873

Shibata Zeshin
柴田是真
1807–1891
Utagawa Kuniteru
歌川国輝
1808–1876

Shiokawa Bunrin
塩川文麟
1808–1877

Hasegawa Sadanobu I
長谷川貞信
1809–1879

Mori Kansai
森寛斎
1814–1894

Utagawa Yoshimune
歌川芳宗
1817–1880

Utagawa Yoshiume
歌川芳梅
1819–1879

Katsushika Isai
葛飾為斎
1821–1880

Utagawa Kunisada II
二代目歌川国貞
1823–1880

Kishi Chikudō
岸竹堂
1826–1897

Utagawa Hiroshige II
二代目歌川広重
1826–1869

Kawakami Tōgai
川上冬崖
1827–1881

Kanō Hōgai
狩野芳崖
1828–1888

Utagawa Yoshifuji
歌川芳藤
1828–1887

Utagawa Yoshiharu
歌川芳春
1828–1888

Takahashi Yuichi
高橋由一
1828–1894

Utagawa Kuniteru II
二代歌川国輝
1830–1874

Utagawa Yoshimori
歌川芳盛
1830–1884

Taki Katei
滝和亭
1830–1901

Araki Kanpo
荒木寛畝
1831–1915

Kawanabe Kyosai
河鍋暁斎
1831–1889

Ochiai Yoshiiku
落合芳幾
1833–1904

Mochizuki Gyokusen
望月玉泉
1834–1913

Utagawa Kuniaki II
二代歌川国明
1835–1888

Toyohara Kunichika
豊原国周
1835–1900

Hashimoto Gahō
橋本雅邦
1835–1908
Tomioka Tessai
富岡鉄斎
1837–1924
Toyohara Chikanobu
豊原周延
1838–1912
Numata Kashū
沼田荷舟
1838–1901

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
月岡芳年
1839–1892

Matsumoto Fūko
松本楓湖
1840–1923

Utagawa Yoshitaki
歌川芳滝
1841–1899

Kawabata Gyokushō
川端玉章
1842–1913

Utagawa Hiroshige III
三代目歌川広重
1842–1894

Kobayashi Eitaku
小林永濯
1843–1890

Kōno Bairei
幸野楳嶺
1844–1895

Torii Kiyosada
鳥居清貞
1844–1901

Imao Keinen
今尾景年
1845–1924

Noguchi Shōhin
野口小蘋
1847–1917
Kobayashi Kiyochika
小林清親
1847–1915

Utagawa Kunitoshi
歌川国利
1847–1899

Utagawa Kunisada III
三代目歌川国貞
1848–1920

Hasegawa Sadanobu II
二代目長谷川貞信
1848–1940

Suzuki Shōnen
鈴木松年
1849–1918

Andō Hiroshige IV
安藤広重四代
1849–1925
Takashima Hokkai
高島北海
1850–1931

Honda Kinkichirō
本多錦吉郎
1850–1921

Yamamoto Hōsui
山本芳翠
1850–1906

Watanabe Seitei
渡辺省亭
1851–1918

Mishima Shōsō
三島蕉窓
1856–1928

Asai Chu
浅井忠
1856–1907

Robert Blum
1857–1903

Koyama Shōtarō
小山正太郎
1857–1916

Yamazaki Toshinobu
山崎年信
1857–1886

Shibata Shinsai
柴田真斎
1858–1895

Ogata Gekko
尾形月耕
1859–1920

Utagawa Toyonobu
歌川豊宣
1859–1886

Charles W. Bartlett
1860–1940

Suzuki Kason
鈴木華邨
1860–1919
Takeuchi Keishu
武内桂舟
1861–1942
Kikuchi Hōbun
菊池芳文
1862–1918

Tsutsui Toshimine
筒井年峰
1863–1934

Migita Toshihide
右田年英
1863–1925

Tomioka Eisen
富岡永洗
1864–1905

Taniguchi Kōkyō
谷口香嶠
1864–1915

Taguchi Beisaku
田口米作
1864–1903

Kobori Tomone
小堀鞆音
1864–1931

Inoue Yasuji
井上安治
1864–1889

Takeuchi Seihō
竹内栖鳳
1864–1942

Kamisaka Sekka
神坂雪佳
1866–1942

Nakamura Fusetsu
中村不折
1866–1943

Mizuno Toshikata
水野年方
1866–1908

Kuroda Seiki
黒田清輝
1866–1924

Fujishima Takeji
藤島武二
1867–1943

Maruyama Banka
丸山晩霞
1867–1942

Yamada Keichū
山田敬中
1868–1934
Helen Hyde
1868–1913

Ogawa Usen
小川芋銭
1868–1938

Yokoyama Taikan
横山大観
1868–1958

Kawanabe Kyōsui
河鍋暁翠
1868–1935

Tsukioka Kōgyo
月岡耕漁
1869–1927

Okada Saburōsuke
岡田三郎助
1869–1939

Bertha Lum
1869–1954

Okakura Shūsui
岡倉秋水
1869–1950

Yamamoto Shoun
山本昇雲
1870–1965

Kajita Hanko
梶田半古
1870–1917

Ōshita Tōjirō
大下藤次郎
1870–1911

Tsuchiya Koitsu
土屋光逸
1870–1949

Tsuji Kakō
都路華香
1870–1931

Yamamoto Shunkyo
山元春挙
1871–1933
Takahashi Shotei
高橋松亭
1871–1945

Koho Shoda
庄田耕峰
1871–1946

Shōda Kōhō
庄田耕峰
1871–1946

Araki Jippo
荒木十畝
1872–1944
Shimomura Kanzan
下村観山
1873–1930

Kawai Gyokudō
川合玉堂
1873–1957

Yoshimune Arai
荒井芳宗
1873–1945
Chigusa Sōun
千種掃雲
1873–1944

Hishida Shunsō
菱田春草
1874–1911

Komuro Suiun
小室翠雲
1874–1945

Wada Eisaku
和田英作
1874–1959

Watanabe Nobukazu
渡辺延一
1874–1944

Mabel Royds
1874–1941

Kamoshita Chōko
鴨下晁湖
1874–1950

Hiromitsu Nakazawa
中沢弘光
1874–1964

Kawakita Kahō
川北霞峰
1875–1940

Furuya Kōrin
古谷紅麟
1875–1910

Hamada Josen
浜田如洗
1875

Uemura Shoen
上村松園
1875–1949

Ishikawa Toraji
石川寅治
1875–1964

Hisui Sugiura
杉浦非水
1876–1965

Kitazawa Rakuten
北澤楽天
1876–1955

Hiroshi Yoshida
吉田博
1876–1950

Igawa Sengai
井川洗崖
1876–1961

Ohara Koson
小原古邨
1877–1945

Nishimura Goun
西村五雲
1877–1938

Konoshima Ōkoku
木島桜谷
1877–1938

Nakagawa Hachirō
中川八郎
1877–1922

Hirafuku Hyakusui
平福百穂
1877–1933

Kosaka Gajin
上坂雅人
1877–1953

Akamatsu Rinsaku
赤松麟作
1878–1953

Kaburaki Kiyokata
鏑木清方
1878–1972

Uehara Konen
上原古年
1878–1940

Tomita Keisen
冨田渓仙
1879–1936

Tanigami Kōnan
谷上廣南
1879–1928

Hirano Hakuhō
平野白峰
1879–1957

Kikuchi Keigetsu
菊池契月
1879–1955

Yamamoto Eishun
山本英春
1879

Hashiguchi Goyo
橋口五葉
1880–1921

Kitano Tsunetomi
北野恒富
1880–1947
Saitō Toyosaku
斎藤豊作
1880–1951

Tsuda Seifū
津田青楓
1880–1978

Morita Tsunetomo
森田恒友
1881–1933

Gesso Yoshimoto
吉本月荘
1881–1936

Hasegawa Sadanobu III
長谷川貞信三世
1881–1963
Yamashita Shintarō
山下新太郎
1881–1966

Hirezaki Eiho
鰭崎英朋
1881–1968

Kogan Tobari
戸張孤雁
1882–1927

Oda Kazuma
織田一磨
1882–1956

Aoki Shigeru
青木繁
1882–1911

Kanae Yamamoto
山本鼎
1882–1946
Arishima Ikuma
有島生馬
1882–1974

Ishii Hakutei
石井柏亭
1882–1958

Oda Kazuma
織田一磨
1882–1956
Sakamoto Hanjirō
坂本繁二郎
1882–1969

Kobayashi Kokei
小林古径
1883–1957

Ikeda Terukata
池田輝方
1883–1921

Hashimoto Kansetsu
橋本関雪
1883–1945

Kawase Hasui
川瀬巴水
1883–1957

Miki Suizan
三木翠山
1883–1957

Wada Sanzo
和田三造
1883–1967
Takeo Terasaki
寺崎武男
1883–1967
Kitaōji Rosanjin
北大路魯山人
1883–1959

Kondō Kōichirō
近藤浩一路
1884–1962

Ito Sozan
伊藤宗山
1884

Walter J. Phillips
1884–1963

Takehisa Yumeji
竹久夢二
1884–1934

Fritz Capelari
フリッツ・カペラリ
1884–1950
Yasuda Yukihiko
安田靫彦
1884–1978

Kawabata Ryūshi
川端龍子
1885–1966

Noël Nouët
1885–1969

Yamamura Toyonari
山村豊成
1885–1942

Obata Chiura
小圃千浦
1885–1975
Maeda Seison
前田青邨
1885–1977

Yamamura Kōka
山村耕花
1885–1942

Aoyama Kumaji
青山熊治
1886–1932
Tomimoto Kenkichi
富本憲吉
1886–1963

Ikeda Shōen
池田蕉園
1886–1917

Natori Shunsen
名取春仙
1886–1960
Ishii Tsuruzō
石井鶴三
1887–1973

Shimizu Toshi
清水登之
1887–1945

Kato Shinmei
加藤晋明
1887

Komura Settai
小村雪岱
1887–1940

Alexandre Iacovleff
1887–1938
Elizabeth Keith
エリザベス・キース
1887–1956

Fujio Yoshida
吉田ふじを
1887–1987

Ohno Bakufu
大野麦風
1888–1976

Takabatake Kashō
高畠華宵
1888–1966
Umehara Ryūzaburō
梅原龍三郎
1888–1986

Yasui Sōtarō
安井曾太郎
1888–1955

Maekawa Senpan
前川千帆
1888–1960

Murakami Kagaku
村上華岳
1888–1939
Maekawa Senpan
前川千帆
1888–1960

Yoshijiro Urushibara
漆原木虫
1888–1953
Yasuo Kuniyoshi
国吉康雄
1889–1953
Cyrus Leroy Baldridge
1889–1977

Shodo Kawarazaki
河原崎奨堂
1889–1973

Manjirō Terauchi
寺内萬治郎
1890–1964
Tsuruta Gorō
鶴田吾郎
1890–1969
Kawai Kanjirō
河井寬次郎
1890–1966

Kishida Ryūsei
岸田劉生
1891–1929

Nagase Yoshio
永瀬義郎
1891–1978

Hasegawa Toshiyuki
長谷川利行
1891–1940

Suda Kunitarō
須田國太郎
1891–1961

Insho Domoto
堂本印象
1891–1975

Kiyoshi Hasegawa
長谷川潔
1891–1980

Onchi Koshiro
恩地孝四郎
1891–1955

Fujimori Shizuo
藤森静雄
1891–1943

Ota Masamitsu
太田雅光
1892–1975

Shima Seien
島成園
1892–1970

Kimura Shōhachi
木村荘八
1893–1958

Kishio Koizumi
小泉癸巳男
1893–1945

Aoyama Masaharu
青山正治
1893–1969
Yamaguchi Hōshun
山口蓬春
1893–1971

Ito Takashi
伊東孝
1894–1982

Hide Kawanishi
川西英
1894–1965

Gyoshu Hayami
速水御舟
1894–1935

Hayami Gyoshū
速水御舟
1894–1935
Takei Takeo
武井武雄
1894–1983

Kanpo Yoshikawa
吉川観方
1894–1979

Lillian May Miller
1895–1943

Hiratsuka Un'ichi
平塚運一
1895–1997
Serizawa Keisuke
芹沢銈介
1895–1984

Sumio Kawakami
川上澄生
1895–1972

Henmi Takashi
逸見享
1895–1944

Paul Jacoulet
ポール・ジャクレー
1896–1960

Gen Yamaguchi
山口源
1896–1976
Tsubaki Sadao
椿貞雄
1896–1957

Tsuchiya Rakuzan
土屋楽山
1896–1976

Sakuichi Fukazawa
深沢索一
1896–1947
Thomas Handforth
1897–1948

Hatsuyama Shigeru
初山滋
1897–1973

Kanenori Suwa
諏訪兼紀
1897–1932

Yamaguchi Susumu
山口進
1897–1983

Koji Fukiya
蕗谷虹児
1898–1979

Ito Shinsui
伊東深水
1898–1972

Shiro Kasamatsu
笠松紫浪
1898–1991

Yoshitoshi Mori
森義利
1898–1992

Yūzō Saeki
佐伯祐三
1898–1928

Yamakawa Shuho
山川秀峰
1898–1944

Okiie Hashimoto
橋本興家
1899–1993

Kobayakawa Kiyoshi
小早川清
1899–1948

Asada Benji
浅田弁治
1899–1984

Yanagase Keisuke
柳瀬正夢
1900–1945

Takeji Asano
浅野竹二
1900–1999

Torii Kotondo
鳥居言人
1900–1976

Kamei Tobei
亀井東平
1901–1977

Sentaro Iwata
岩田専太郎
1901–1974

Tomoo Inagaki
稲垣知雄
1902–1980

Tomikichiro Tokuriki
徳力富吉郎
1902–1999

Umetaro Azechi
畦地梅太郎
1902–1999

Inagaki Toshijiro
稲垣稔次郎
1902–1963

Asai Kiyoshi
朝井清
1902–1968

Willy Seiler
1903–1997

Migishi Kōtarō
三岸好太郎
1903–1934

Pieter Irwin Brown
1903–1988
Shiko Munakata
棟方志功
1903–1975

Katsuhira Tokushi
勝平得之
1904–1971

Ueno Tadamasa
上野忠雅
1904–1970

Okumura Koichi
奥村厚一
1904–1974

Maeda Masao
前田政雄
1904–1974
Hashimoto Meiji
橋本明治
1904–1991

Maeda Masao
前田政雄
1904–1974

Waichi Hayashi
林和一
1905–1975

Jiro Yoshihara
吉原 治良
1905–1972
Yoshioka Kenji
吉岡堅二
1906–1990

Kotozuka Eiichi
琴塚英一
1906–1979

Kihei Sasajima
笹島喜平
1906–1993
Edward Millman
1907–1964

Gihachiro Okuyama
奥山儀八郎
1907–1981

Saito Kiyoshi
斎藤清
1907–1997

Shimura Tatsumi
志村立美
1907–1980
Higashiyama Kaii
東山魁夷
1908–1999

Tsukioka Gyokusei
月岡玉成
1908–1994

Takumi Shinagawa
品川工
1908–2009

Tadashige Ono
小野忠重
1909–1990

Yozo Hamaguchi
浜口陽三
1909–2000

Motoi Oi
大井基
1910–2004

Ito Nisaburo
伊藤仁三郎
1910–1988

Hiroyuki Tajima
田島博之
1911–1984

Nishiyama Hideo
西山英雄
1911–1989

Waichi Tsutaka
津高和一
1911–1995

Toshi Yoshida
吉田遠志
1911–1995

Fujimaki Yoshio
藤牧義夫
1911–1935

Nakao Yoshitaka
中尾義隆
1911–1994

Keiko Minami
南桂子
1911–2004

Mizufune Rokushu
水船六洲
1912–1980

Iwami Furusawa
古沢岩美
1912–2000

Matsumoto Shunsuke
松本竣介
1912–1948
Notable Works
Works created during the Meiji Era
Flathead (Kochi) and Eggplants (Nasubi), from the series A Shoal of Fishes (Uo-zukushi)
late 19th century
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

Triptych: Village of Cherry Blossoms, from the series Esteemed Towns and Villages (Tôsei furaku tsû), Meiji period, 1897
Meiji period, 1868-1912
Woodblock print

Five Butterflies (Facsimilie)
Meiji Period (1868-1912)
Color woodblock print

Negoro no Komitsucha
1868, 9th lunar month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Nine-Tailed-Turtle Tao Zongwang
1868, 7th lunar month
Preparatory drawing for a print, ink and color on paper

Sugaya Kuemon
1868, 8th lunar month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

The Boatman Zhang Heng
1868, 8th lunar month
Preparatory drawing for a print, ink and color on paper

Yamamoto Kansuke Killing a Wild Boar
1868, 4th lunar month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Crow on pine branch.
about 1868-1889
Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Kyumonryu Shishin
1868
Japanese woodblock print

Waterfall
Meiji period (1868–1912)
Album leaf; inks and color on paper

11, Chikamatsu Kanroku Minamoto Yukishige
1868, 6th lunar month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Frequently Asked Questions
The Meiji Era (明治時代) ran from 1868 to 1912.
The Meiji era brought Japan's rapid modernization and opening to the West, profoundly disrupting traditional woodblock printing. As photography and lithography arrived, ukiyo-e declined commercially. Yet the period also saw innovative transitional works blending Western perspective and shading with Japanese subjects. Artists documented Japan's transformation—new railways, Western dress, and military campaigns—while the Japonisme movement in Europe created new demand for traditional prints abroad.
Traditional Mokuhanga, Meiji/Taishō Prints, and Sōsaku-hanga were among the movements active during the Meiji Era.
Hanga catalogues 284 artists whose careers overlap with the Meiji Era (1868–1912).
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