Children Prints (480)
Children (kodomo) in Japanese woodblock prints, depicted at play, in festivals, or in genre scenes of daily life. Child subjects appear across all periods, from Edo-era prints to modern sosaku-hanga compositions celebrating childhood innocence.
Artists Known for Children

The Poet Fun'ya no Yasuhide, from the series "Modern Children as the Six Immortal Poets (Tosei kodomo rokkasen)"
c. 1804/05
Color woodblock print; oban
CHILDREN PLAYING
Ink on paper

A Mother and her Children
c. 1768
Color woodblock print; chuban

Ofuji, the Shop Girl of the Motoyanagiya, with a Customer
c. 1769
Color woodblock print; chuban

Chinese Children Pulling a Cart with Flowers
1765-1770

Ōtomo no Kuronushi, from the series Modern Children as the Six Poetic Immortals (Tōsei kodomo rokkasen)
c. 1804
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Aburaya Osome and the Shop Boy Hisamatsu
Edo period, circa 1800
Ukiyo-e woodblock print in "hashira-e" format; ink and color on paper
GIRL KNEELING BEFORE MUSIC STAND
Ink
Mother and Children Enjoying Fireflies
18th-19th century
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

A Girl Dressing in Pink
1766
color woodblock print

Women and Children on the Causeway at Shinobazu Pond
c. 1788
Color woodblock print; right sheet of oban triptych

The Tanabata Festival, from the from the series "Precious Children's Games of the Five Festivals (Kodakara gosetsu asobi)"
c. 1801
Color woodblock print; oban

The Poet Sojo Henjo, from the series "Modern Children as the Six Immortal Poets (Tosei kodomo rokkasen)"
c. 1804/05
Color woodblock print; oban

Mother Lifting a Child to a Plum Tree (from the series Chinese and Japanese Poems by Seven Year Old Girls of Recent Times)
late 1790s
color woodblock print
Bun'ya no Yasuhide from the series Modern Children as the Six Poetic Immortals (Tōsei kodomo rokkasen)
c. 1804 (Bunka 1)
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

No. 2: Chinese boys copying paintings and writing Japanese, from the series "Children Say 'This is Japan!' and Imitate the Games They See in Picturebooks (Yodo iu koitsu wa Nippon, ezoshi o mite yori sono gai ni asobu)"
c. 1791
Color woodblock print; chuban

Women Watching a Girl Dance on Shells (From the series Fashionable Presentations of Three Horses)
1784
color woodblock print

Women and Children Walking Along the Sumida River
early 1800s
color woodblock print
Fun'ya no Yasuhide, from the series The Six Poets Represented by Modern Children (Tosei kodomo rokkasen)
Late Edo period, circa 1800-1806
Ukiyo-e woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper, with printed signature reading "Utamaro hitsu"
Two Girls, one with a Mouse, one with a Cage
17th-19th century
Ink and color on paper

Two Girls Leaving a Boat
c. 1767/68
Color woodblock print; chuban

The New Year's Festival, from the series "Precious Children's Games of the Five Festivals (Kodakara gosetsu asobi)"
c. 1801
Color woodblock print; oban
Great Hit! Said the Children, after Seeing Popular Picture Books, and They Imitate the Subjects for TheirPlay, Calligraphy, and Painting (Yodo iu koitsu wa Nippon, Ezoshi wo mite yori sono gwai wo asobu)

Beach Girl

Women by a Palanquin (from the series Chinese and Japanese Poems by Seven Year Old Girls of Recent Times)
late 1790s
color woodblock print

Bunraku Puppetry from the series Competition of Precious Children Proud of their Arts, Among Seven Scrolls
1805
color woodblock print

Boy on Hobby Horse Followed by Woman Holding Umbrella
c. 1768/69
Color woodblock print; hashira-e

Woman and Children by the Sea
ca. 1835
Priest Huiyuan (Eon Hōshi), from the series Three Laughers at Children's Playful Spirits (Kokei ni sanshō)
c. 1802 (Kyōwa 2)
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Vulgar Girl (Gehin musume)
Ink on paper

No. 4: Chinese boys playing a raffle game, from the series "Children Say 'This is Japan!' and Imitate the Games They See in Picturebooks (Yodo iu koitsu wa Nippon, ezoshi o mite yori sono gai ni asobu)"
c. 1791
Color woodblock print; chuban

Young girl and four attendants
ca. 1784
Fond of Children (Kodomo-zuki), from the series Eight Views of Favorite Things of Today (Tosei kobutsu hakkei)
Late Edo period, circa 1801-1802
Ukiyo-e woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper, with printed signature reading "Utamaro hitsu"
Painting, from the series Comparisons of the Artistic Pride of Precious Children (Gei jiman kodakara awase), One of Seven Lucky Treasures (shichifuku no uchi)
1806 (Bunka 3), 6th month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

Young Man and Boy Returning from Fishing
c. 1767/68
Color woodblock print; hashira-e

Girl Playing with a Cat
c. 1769/70
Color woodblock print; hashira-e

Two Girls, from the series "Twelve Physiognomies of Beautiful Women Representing Views of Famous Places (Meisho fukei bijin juni so)"
c. 1803
Color woodblock print; oban
Ono no Komachi from the series The Six Poets Represented by Modern Children (Tosei kodomo rokkasen)
Late Edo period, circa 1800-1806
Ukiyo-e woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper
Woman Playing Hand-Drum (Tsuzumi) for Two Dancing Children
19th century
Ukiyo-e woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper, with printed signature reading "Utamaro hitsu"

Chrysanthemum festival, from the series "Precious Children's Games of the Five Festivals (Kodakara gosetsu asobi)"
c. 1801
Color woodblock print; oban

Jijo Hokun Onna Ima-gawa (Treasured Lessons of Young Girls)
Girl with Red Lips
赤い唇の少女
c. 1910-1930
Oil on canvas

Profile Head of a Japanese Girl
1879
Etching

Milking Girl
乳しぼりの娘
1922-23
Oil on canvas

No. 147 (portrait of a girl)
c. 1957
Woodcut on Japanese hosho paper

Two Girls Catching Fireflies
first half of the 18th century
Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk

No. 398 (Girl with Flower)
c. 1957
Woodcut on Japanese hosho paper

A Russian Girl
ロシヤの少女
c. 1915
Oil on canvas

No. 401 (girl with bird on her shoulder)
1960
Woodcut on Japanese hosho paper

Shirabyōshi Dancer and Female Servant; Courtesan and Girl Attendant
mid-18th century (1734–1766)
Hanging scroll paintings, remounted as a two-panel folding screen; ink, color, and gold on silk

A Girl
少女
1941
Pencil, Japanese ink, charcoal and conté on paper

Children and Fireworks (Summer)
花火と子供たち
c. 1960
Color woodblock print

The Festival (Fall)
祭り 秋
c. 1950s
Color woodblock print

Girl with a Doll
1880-1890
Color woodcut on paper (octagonal album sheet, black line block with color blocks)

Girl of Bréhat
1891
Oil on canvas; 80.6 × 54.0 cm

The Hanetsuki (Spring) — Girls Playing Battledore
羽根突き 春
c. 1950s
Color woodblock print

The Fireworks (Summer)
花火 夏
c. 1950s
Color woodblock print

Man Strolling with a Boy Carrying Flowering Branch
c. 1810
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk

Three Children
20th century
Color woodblock print, edition 8/14

Snowman (Winter)
雪だるま
c. 1950s
Color woodblock print
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Children (kodomo) in Japanese woodblock prints, depicted at play, in festivals, or in genre scenes of daily life. Child subjects appear across all periods, from Edo-era prints to modern sosaku-hanga compositions celebrating childhood innocence.
Kitagawa Utamaro, Jun'ichiro Sekino, and Kaoru Kawano are among the artists most associated with children in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 480 prints tagged with children, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.





