Mythology Prints (233)
Mythological and legendary subjects in Japanese woodblock prints, featuring characters from Japanese folklore, ghost stories (kaidan), supernatural beings (yokai), and tales from classical literature like The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Heike.
Artists Known for Mythology

Mother West Wind
1921
Color woodcut on laid paper

Sagittarius, from the Zodiac Series, Shôwa period, circa 1973
Woodblock print

Awabi diver, Mermaid
Woodblock print

ZAO GONGEN
Woodblock print

A parody of Hanshin and Shide, two chinese monks
1941
Woodblock print

KISSHOTEN A
Woodblock print

Endo Musha Morito
Woodblock print

Kaijin
1937
Woodblock print

Parody of Kanzan and Jittoku
1942
Color woodblock print

Page from Hagoromo (Feathered Robe), Shôwa period, circa 1984-1986
Woodblock print

EBISU ON HORSEBACK
Woodblock print

O Yuki
1905
Color woodcut

Koma-inu
Woodblock print

Shumitsu Kanja Yoshitaka
1867

Döjöji
Woodblock print

Taninakamura — 谷中村河童画房
Woodblock print

Goblins
Before 1870

Magical Palm Reading and Mole Reading
Woodblock print

Comic One Hundred Turns of the Rosary (Dôke hyakumanben), from the series One Hundred Wildnesses by Kyôsai (Kyôsai hyakkyô)
Woodblock print

MODORIBASHI
Woodblock print

Ashigara Yama
Not set
Woodblock print
School for Spooks (Bakebake gakkō), No. 3 from the series Drawings for Pleasure by Kyōsai (Kyōsai rakuga, dai san gō)
1874 (Meiji 7)
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

Kashiwade no Hatebe
mid 1830s

Sanjō no Kokaji Munechika
Mid-1830s

Inuka Kempachi Nobumichi Directing the Attempted Arrest of Inuzuka Shino Moritaka
Woodblock print

A Tomb with Wings
Woodblock print

Last Stand of Kusunoki Masatsura
Woodblock print

#14 Katsuenra Genshoshichi
Woodblock print

Kotenrai Ryoshin
Woodblock print

Shuzenji Monogatari
Circa 1954
Woodblock print

Nippori Hotei / Toto Shichi-fuku-juku
Woodblock print

Musume Dojoji
Not set
Woodblock print

Moral Instruction — 国史美談教訓画蒐
Not set
Woodblock print

Taiheiki Eiyu den
Woodblock print

A competition among powerful magicians
Woodblock print

Page from the book Strange Tales of Matasaburō
1952
Ink on paper

Stone Image of Bishunu
20th century
Woodblock print

The Old Hag of the Lonely House
1872, 11th lunar month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Parody of
Woodblock print

Yamauba with Kintarô Holding a Toy Mask
Woodblock print

Takiyasha-hime
1867

Kurokumo Ōji
1867

Inuzuka Shino and Inukai Genpachi
April 1873
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Konjin Chōgorō
1866

Tanabata
1912
Color woodcut

Kiku's Shadows
1860, 7th lunar month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Magic Carpet
1912
Color woodcut

Emperor Yurako hunting at Mount Katsuragi
Woodblock print

Hotei
Woodblock print

Yamauba Holding Chestnuts while Kintarô Reaches for Them
Woodblock print

Taira Koremochi Conquering the Devil Woman on Mount Togakushi (Taira no Koremochi Togakushiyama kijo taiji no zu)
1887
Color woodblock prints; oban diptych

Yamauba and Kaidomaru
February 1873
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Masks No. 3, Shôwa period, dated 1957
Woodblock print

Rosei’s dream
Woodblock print

Harimaze
Woodblock print

Hohodemi no Mikoto
1867

Monsters jumping out of a box scaring a man, draft for the print 'The Heavy Basket' (Omoi tsuzura)
around 1889
Preparatory drawing for a print, ink and color on paper

Picture of the Fever of Taira no Kiyomori
August 1883
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

The Sun Goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami
February 1882
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Complete set of the series: The Twelve Zodiac Signs with Heroes
c. 1868
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Mythological and legendary subjects in Japanese woodblock prints, featuring characters from Japanese folklore, ghost stories (kaidan), supernatural beings (yokai), and tales from classical literature like The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Heike.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Shiko Munakata, and Hideo Hagiwara are among the artists most associated with mythology in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 233 prints tagged with mythology, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.




