Hanga

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

Left: Kurikara Kengorō; right: Hohodemi-no-mikoto by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Left: Kurikara Kengorō; right: Hohodemi-no-mikoto

1867, 8th lunar month

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Susano-o no Mikoto, Shinto's Mythical Ruler of the Tides by Ogata Gekko

Susano-o no Mikoto, Shinto's Mythical Ruler of the Tides

Woodblock print

Miroku by Shiro Kasamatsu

Miroku

Woodblock print

God of Wealth Daikokuten�fs Lucky Drawing by Kawanabe Kyosai

God of Wealth Daikokuten�fs Lucky Drawing

Woodblock print

Woman Representing Good Fortune by Kitagawa Utamaro

Woman Representing Good Fortune

1753–1806

color woodblock print

Land of the Pygmies (Kojin koku) by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Land of the Pygmies (Kojin koku)

Fifth month of 1863

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

Chiyono Kotobuki (A Thousand Years of Long Life) by Kawanabe Kyosai

Chiyono Kotobuki (A Thousand Years of Long Life)

1863

Print

Uto monogatari Saginuma Taro Etchu Tateyama jigoku o hiru zu by Kawanabe Kyosai

Uto monogatari Saginuma Taro Etchu Tateyama jigoku o hiru zu

Woodblock print

Mitate No.52 - Mask (Men) by Nana Shiomi

Mitate No.52 - Mask (Men)

2002

Print

Mitate No.95 - Hannya Mask (Hannya) by Nana Shiomi

Mitate No.95 - Hannya Mask (Hannya)

2015

Print

Princess Sotoori (Sotoori-hime), from the series Sketches by Gekkô (Gekkô zuihitsu) by Ogata Gekko

Princess Sotoori (Sotoori-hime), from the series Sketches by Gekkô (Gekkô zuihitsu)

Woodblock print

Amaterasu, The Sun Goddess and Sister of Susan-o Before She Hid in Her Cave by Ogata Gekko

Amaterasu, The Sun Goddess and Sister of Susan-o Before She Hid in Her Cave

Woodblock print

Sagami Jirō and Taira no Masakado, from the series Yoshitoshi's Incomparable Warriors (Yoshitoshi mushaburui) by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Sagami Jirō and Taira no Masakado, from the series Yoshitoshi's Incomparable Warriors (Yoshitoshi mushaburui)

Meiji period, datable to 1883

Ukiyo-e woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper

Genzanmi Yorimasa and I no Hayata by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Genzanmi Yorimasa and I no Hayata

October 1878

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Ikkai Sketches (Ikkai manga), vol. 1 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Ikkai Sketches (Ikkai manga), vol. 1

1866

Print

Mitate No.81 - Feather Mantle (Hagoromo) by Nana Shiomi

Mitate No.81 - Feather Mantle (Hagoromo)

2007

Print

Hi No Kami by Shiko Munakata

Hi No Kami

1937

Woodblock print

Shaka no Saku by Shiko Munakata

Shaka no Saku

1957

Woodblock print

Fu Sho nosaku by Shiko Munakata

Fu Sho nosaku

1957

Woodblock print

Prayer, Design B by Shiko Munakata

Prayer, Design B

1939

Woodblock print

Ragora, from the series Ten Great Disciples of Shaka (Shaka jûdai deshi) by Shiko Munakata

Ragora, from the series Ten Great Disciples of Shaka (Shaka jûdai deshi)

1939

Woodblock print

Sugawara Michizane Expelled by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Sugawara Michizane Expelled

Feburary 1884

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Raijin (God of Thunder) by Shiko Munakata

Raijin (God of Thunder)

1937

Woodblock print

Gesshin by Shiko Munakata

Gesshin

1937

Woodblock print

Dainichi Nyorai by Shiko Munakata

Dainichi Nyorai

1937

Woodblock print

Shaka Nyorai by Shiko Munakata

Shaka Nyorai

1937

Woodblock print

(Kwannon Goddess) by Shiko Munakata

(Kwannon Goddess)

1930-1974

Woodblock print

Two Doll Figures by Shiko Munakata

Two Doll Figures

20th century

Woodblock print

Hell is Booming by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Hell is Booming

November 1894

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Princess showing upper arm by Shiko Munakata

Princess showing upper arm

1958

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Weasel by Shiko Munakata

Weasel

c. 1920s

Woodblock print

Fugen Bosatsu by Shiko Munakata

Fugen Bosatsu

1960

Woodblock print

Gensami Yorimasa and Ino Hayata by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Gensami Yorimasa and Ino Hayata

Woodblock print

Hirushana Butsu by Shiko Munakata

Hirushana Butsu

1937

Woodblock print

Boshin by Shiko Munakata

Boshin

1937

Woodblock print

The Wife's Surprise (Tsumatachi no saku), from the series "The Tale of the Auklet (Uto Hanga-kan)" by Shiko Munakata

The Wife's Surprise (Tsumatachi no saku), from the series "The Tale of the Auklet (Uto Hanga-kan)"

1938

Woodblock print

The disciple Subodai / Shaka ju dai deshi (Ten Great Followers of Shaka) by Shiko Munakata

The disciple Subodai / Shaka ju dai deshi (Ten Great Followers of Shaka)

1939 (designed)

Woodblock print

Sugawara Michizane in Exile by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Sugawara Michizane in Exile

Feburary 1884

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Shishikutsu (In the Cave) by Shiko Munakata

Shishikutsu (In the Cave)

1953

Woodblock print

Narcissos, Inspired by Marcus Enckel by Tuula Moilanen

Narcissos, Inspired by Marcus Enckel

2022

Mokuhanga

Echo, Inspired by Alexandre Cabanel by Tuula Moilanen

Echo, Inspired by Alexandre Cabanel

2022

Mokuhanga

New Moon (From Yoshitoshi Series) by Tuula Moilanen

New Moon (From Yoshitoshi Series)

2011

Mokuhanga

Glaukos, Shôwa period, dated 1965? by Hideo Hagiwara

Glaukos, Shôwa period, dated 1965?

Woodblock print

Rainbow Serpent (34/100) by Mayumi Oda

Rainbow Serpent (34/100)

Woodblock print

Bellerophon by Hideo Hagiwara

Bellerophon

Shōwa period, dated 1965?

Woodblock print; ink on paper with signature reading "Hideo Hagiwara"

Artemis (Arutemisu) by Hideo Hagiwara

Artemis (Arutemisu)

1966 (?)

Woodblock print; edition 12/50

Chase (21/30) by Mayumi Oda

Chase (21/30)

Woodblock print

Yakushi Nyorai (God of Medicine) by Shiko Munakata

Yakushi Nyorai (God of Medicine)

1937

Woodblock print

Kannonkyo II (37/66) by Mayumi Oda

Kannonkyo II (37/66)

Woodblock print

Untitled, scene of the other world, No. 4 from by Kawanabe Kyosai

Untitled, scene of the other world, No. 4 from

Woodblock print

Artemis (27/50) by Mayumi Oda

Artemis (27/50)

Woodblock print

Motomezuka by Ogata Gekko

Motomezuka

Woodblock print

Tamomo no Mae, with Poem by Fumiya Asayasu, from the series "Ogura Versions of the One Hundred Poets (Ogura nazorae Hyakunin isshu)" by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Tamomo no Mae, with Poem by Fumiya Asayasu, from the series "Ogura Versions of the One Hundred Poets (Ogura nazorae Hyakunin isshu)"

c. 1845/48

Color woodblock print; oban

Bakchos [=Bacchus] (Bakkasu) by Hideo Hagiwara

Bakchos [=Bacchus] (Bakkasu)

Woodblock print

Medusa (Medyusa) by Hideo Hagiwara

Medusa (Medyusa)

Woodblock print

Phaethon, from the portfolio Greek Mythology  by Hideo Hagiwara

Phaethon, from the portfolio Greek Mythology

1965

Woodblock print; ink on paper

Wind Goddess (Gold) (38/50) by Mayumi Oda

Wind Goddess (Gold) (38/50)

Woodblock print

Ebisu (29/40) by Mayumi Oda

Ebisu (29/40)

Woodblock print

Phaethon, Shôwa period, dated 1965? by Hideo Hagiwara

Phaethon, Shôwa period, dated 1965?

Woodblock print

Haumea (38/100) by Mayumi Oda

Haumea (38/100)

Woodblock print

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.