Meisho-e

Meisho-e (pictures of famous places) is the landscape genre that became the most commercially successful category of Japanese woodblock prints. The genre depicts recognized scenic spots (meisho), celebrated temples and shrines, distinctive bridges, and notable natural landmarks — places with established literary, historical, or aesthetic reputations.

The genre reached its zenith with Katsushika Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (c. 1830–1832) and Utagawa Hiroshige's Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (1833–1834), series that rank among the most famous artworks in the world. These prints established the commercial viability of landscape subjects and inspired countless series depicting famous places across Japan and beyond.

In the shin-hanga era, meisho-e was the dominant genre. Kawase Hasui spent his career depicting famous views of Japan — temples, gardens, seascapes, and mountain scenes — across hundreds of prints. Hiroshi Yoshida extended the genre internationally, depicting landmarks in India, Europe, and North America alongside Japanese scenes. The genre's connection to travel and tourism made shin-hanga meisho-e natural souvenirs for foreign visitors to Japan, contributing to the movement's strong Western collector base. The tradition continues today, with meisho-e remaining the most popular category for contemporary moku-hanga landscape prints.