Artists Artworks Movements

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.

Movements (2)

Artistic movements active during the Meiji Era

Meiji/Taishō Prints

明治大正版画

c. 1868–1926

Sōsaku-hanga

創作版画

c. 1905–1980

Artists (121)

Artists active during the Meiji Era

Kawanabe Kyosai, Japanese print artist

Kawanabe Kyosai

河鍋暁斎

1831–1889

Toyohara Chikanobu, Japanese print artist

Toyohara Chikanobu

豊原周延

1838–1912

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Japanese print artist

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

月岡芳年

1839–1892

Kobayashi Kiyochika, Japanese print artist

Kobayashi Kiyochika

小林清親

1847–1915

Watanabe Seitei, Japanese print artist

Watanabe Seitei

渡辺省亭

1851–1918

Asai Chu, Japanese print artist

Asai Chu

浅井忠

1856–1907

Ogata Gekko, Japanese print artist

Ogata Gekko

尾形月耕

1859–1920

Charles W. Bartlett, Japanese print artist

Charles W. Bartlett

1860–1940

Inoue Yasuji, Japanese print artist

Inoue Yasuji

井上安治

1864–1889

Helen Hyde

1868–1913

Ogawa Usen, Japanese print artist

Ogawa Usen

小川芋銭

1868–1938

Bertha Lum, Japanese print artist

Bertha Lum

1869–1954

Tsuchiya Koitsu, Japanese print artist

Tsuchiya Koitsu

土屋光逸

1870–1949

Kajita Hanko, Japanese print artist

Kajita Hanko

梶田半古

1870–1917

Yamamoto Shoun, Japanese print artist

Yamamoto Shoun

山本昇雲

1870–1965

Takahashi Shotei, Japanese print artist

Takahashi Shotei

高橋松亭

1871–1945

Koho Shoda, Japanese print artist

Koho Shoda

庄田耕峰

1871–1946

Yoshimune Arai, Japanese print artist

Yoshimune Arai

荒井芳宗

1873–1945

Kamoshita Chōko, Japanese print artist

Kamoshita Chōko

鴨下晁湖

1874–1950

Hiromitsu Nakazawa, Japanese print artist

Hiromitsu Nakazawa

中沢弘光

1874–1964

Uemura Shoen, Japanese print artist

Uemura Shoen

上村松園

1875–1949

Ishikawa Toraji, Japanese print artist

Ishikawa Toraji

石川寅治

1875–1964

Hisui Sugiura, Japanese print artist

Hisui Sugiura

杉浦非水

1876–1965

Igawa Sengai, Japanese print artist

Igawa Sengai

井川洗崖

1876–1961

Hiroshi Yoshida, Japanese print artist

Hiroshi Yoshida

吉田博

1876–1950

Ohara Koson, Japanese print artist

Ohara Koson

小原古邨

1877–1945

Kosaka Gajin, Japanese print artist

Kosaka Gajin

上坂雅人

1877–1953

Kaburaki Kiyokata, Japanese print artist

Kaburaki Kiyokata

鏑木清方

1878–1972

Akamatsu Rinsaku, Japanese print artist

Akamatsu Rinsaku

赤松麟作

1878–1953

Hirano Hakuhō, Japanese print artist

Hirano Hakuhō

平野白峰

1879–1957

Kitano Tsunetomi, Japanese print artist

Kitano Tsunetomi

北野恒富

1880–1947

Hashiguchi Goyo, Japanese print artist

Hashiguchi Goyo

橋口五葉

1880–1921

Gesso Yoshimoto, Japanese print artist

Gesso Yoshimoto

吉本月荘

1881–1936

Hirezaki Eiho, Japanese print artist

Hirezaki Eiho

鰭崎英朋

1881–1968

Hasegawa Sadanobu III, Japanese print artist

Hasegawa Sadanobu III

長谷川貞信三世

1881–1963

Kanae Yamamoto, Japanese print artist

Kanae Yamamoto

山本鼎

1882–1946

Kogan Tobari, Japanese print artist

Kogan Tobari

戸張孤雁

1882–1927

Ishii Hakutei, Japanese print artist

Ishii Hakutei

石井柏亭

1882–1958

Oda Kazuma, Japanese print artist

Oda Kazuma

織田一磨

1882–1956

Oda Kazuma, Japanese print artist

Oda Kazuma

織田一磨

1882–1956

Miki Suizan, Japanese print artist

Miki Suizan

三木翠山

1883–1957

Wada Sanzo, Japanese print artist

Wada Sanzo

和田三造

1883–1967

Kawase Hasui, Japanese print artist

Kawase Hasui

川瀬巴水

1883–1957

Takeo Terasaki

寺崎武男

1883–1967

Walter J. Phillips, Japanese print artist

Walter J. Phillips

1884–1963

Takehisa Yumeji, Japanese print artist

Takehisa Yumeji

竹久夢二

1884–1934

Fritz Capelari, Japanese print artist

Fritz Capelari

フリッツ・カペラリ

1884–1950

Ito Sozan, Japanese print artist

Ito Sozan

伊藤宗山

1884

Yamamura Toyonari, Japanese print artist

Yamamura Toyonari

山村豊成

1885–1942

Noël Nouët, Japanese print artist

Noël Nouët

1885–1969

Natori Shunsen, Japanese print artist

Natori Shunsen

名取春仙

1886–1960

Kato Shinmei, Japanese print artist

Kato Shinmei

加藤晋明

1887

Elizabeth Keith, Japanese print artist

Elizabeth Keith

エリザベス・キース

1887–1956

Komura Settai, Japanese print artist

Komura Settai

小村雪岱

1887–1940

Fujio Yoshida, Japanese print artist

Fujio Yoshida

吉田ふじを

1887–1987

Maekawa Senpan, Japanese print artist

Maekawa Senpan

前川千帆

1888–1960

Ohno Bakufu, Japanese print artist

Ohno Bakufu

大野麦風

1888–1976

Yoshijiro Urushibara, Japanese print artist

Yoshijiro Urushibara

漆原木虫

1888–1953

Cyrus Leroy Baldridge

1889–1977

Shodo Kawarazaki, Japanese print artist

Shodo Kawarazaki

河原崎奨堂

1889–1973

Insho Domoto, Japanese print artist

Insho Domoto

堂本印象

1891–1975

Onchi Koshiro, Japanese print artist

Onchi Koshiro

恩地孝四郎

1891–1955

Fujimori Shizuo, Japanese print artist

Fujimori Shizuo

藤森静雄

1891–1943

Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Japanese print artist

Kiyoshi Hasegawa

長谷川潔

1891–1980

Nagase Yoshio, Japanese print artist

Nagase Yoshio

永瀬義郎

1891–1978

Ota Masamitsu, Japanese print artist

Ota Masamitsu

太田雅光

1892–1975

Shima Seien, Japanese print artist

Shima Seien

島成園

1892–1970

Aoyama Masaharu, Japanese print artist

Aoyama Masaharu

青山正治

1893–1969

Kishio Koizumi, Japanese print artist

Kishio Koizumi

小泉癸巳男

1893–1945

Ito Takashi, Japanese print artist

Ito Takashi

伊東孝

1894–1982

Hide Kawanishi, Japanese print artist

Hide Kawanishi

川西英

1894–1965

Kanpo Yoshikawa, Japanese print artist

Kanpo Yoshikawa

吉川観方

1894–1979

Gyoshu Hayami, Japanese print artist

Gyoshu Hayami

速水御舟

1894–1935

Henmi Takashi, Japanese print artist

Henmi Takashi

逸見享

1895–1944

Sumio Kawakami, Japanese print artist

Sumio Kawakami

川上澄生

1895–1972

Hiratsuka Un'ichi, Japanese print artist

Hiratsuka Un'ichi

平塚運一

1895–1997

Lilian May Miller, Japanese print artist

Lilian May Miller

1895–1943

Gen Yamaguchi, Japanese print artist

Gen Yamaguchi

山口源

1896–1976

Sakuichi Fukazawa, Japanese print artist

Sakuichi Fukazawa

深沢索一

1896–1947

Tsuchiya Rakuzan, Japanese print artist

Tsuchiya Rakuzan

土屋楽山

1896–1976

Paul Jacoulet, Japanese print artist

Paul Jacoulet

ポール・ジャクレー

1896–1960

Kanenori Suwa, Japanese print artist

Kanenori Suwa

諏訪兼紀

1897–1932

Koji Fukiya, Japanese print artist

Koji Fukiya

蕗谷虹児

1898–1979

Shiro Kasamatsu, Japanese print artist

Shiro Kasamatsu

笠松紫浪

1898–1991

Yoshitoshi Mori, Japanese print artist

Yoshitoshi Mori

森義利

1898–1992

Yamakawa Shuho, Japanese print artist

Yamakawa Shuho

山川秀峰

1898–1944

Ito Shinsui, Japanese print artist

Ito Shinsui

伊東深水

1898–1972

Kobayakawa Kiyoshi, Japanese print artist

Kobayakawa Kiyoshi

小早川清

1899–1948

Asada Benji, Japanese print artist

Asada Benji

浅田弁治

1899–1984

Okiie Hashimoto, Japanese print artist

Okiie Hashimoto

橋本興家

1899–1993

Takeji Asano, Japanese print artist

Takeji Asano

浅野竹二

1900–1999

Torii Kotondo, Japanese print artist

Torii Kotondo

鳥居言人

1900–1976

Kamei Tobei, Japanese print artist

Kamei Tobei

亀井東平

1901–1977

Sentaro Iwata, Japanese print artist

Sentaro Iwata

岩田専太郎

1901–1974

Umetaro Azechi, Japanese print artist

Umetaro Azechi

畦地梅太郎

1902–1999

Tomikichiro Tokuriki, Japanese print artist

Tomikichiro Tokuriki

徳力富吉郎

1902–1999

Tomoo Inagaki, Japanese print artist

Tomoo Inagaki

稲垣知雄

1902–1980

Inagaki Toshijiro, Japanese print artist

Inagaki Toshijiro

稲垣稔次郎

1902–1963

Shiko Munakata, Japanese print artist

Shiko Munakata

棟方志功

1903–1975

Pieter Irwin Brown, Japanese print artist

Pieter Irwin Brown

1903–1988

Okumura Koichi, Japanese print artist

Okumura Koichi

奥村厚一

1904–1974

Maeda Masao, Japanese print artist

Maeda Masao

前田政雄

1904–1974

Maeda Masao

前田政雄

1904–1974

Waichi Hayashi, Japanese print artist

Waichi Hayashi

林和一

1905–1975

Kotozuka Eiichi, Japanese print artist

Kotozuka Eiichi

琴塚英一

1906–1979

Kihei Sasajima, Japanese print artist

Kihei Sasajima

笹島喜平

1906–1993

Shimura Tatsumi, Japanese print artist

Shimura Tatsumi

志村立美

1907–1980

Saito Kiyoshi, Japanese print artist

Saito Kiyoshi

斎藤清

1907–1997

Gihachiro Okuyama, Japanese print artist

Gihachiro Okuyama

奥山儀八郎

1907–1981

Takumi Shinagawa, Japanese print artist

Takumi Shinagawa

品川工

1908–2009

Tsukioka Gyokusei, Japanese print artist

Tsukioka Gyokusei

月岡玉成

1908–1994

Yozo Hamaguchi, Japanese print artist

Yozo Hamaguchi

浜口陽三

1909–2000

Tadashige Ono, Japanese print artist

Tadashige Ono

小野忠重

1909–1990

Ito Nisaburo, Japanese print artist

Ito Nisaburo

伊藤仁三郎

1910–1988

Keiko Minami, Japanese print artist

Keiko Minami

南桂子

1911–2004

Fujimaki Yoshio, Japanese print artist

Fujimaki Yoshio

藤牧義夫

1911–1935

Nishiyama Hideo, Japanese print artist

Nishiyama Hideo

西山英雄

1911–1989

Nakao Yoshitaka, Japanese print artist

Nakao Yoshitaka

中尾義隆

1911–1994

Toshi Yoshida, Japanese print artist

Toshi Yoshida

吉田遠志

1911–1995

Hiroyuki Tajima, Japanese print artist

Hiroyuki Tajima

田島博之

1911–1984

Mizufune Rokushu, Japanese print artist

Mizufune Rokushu

水船六洲

1912–1980

Notable Works

Works created during the Meiji Era

Crow on pine branch. by Kawanabe Kyosai

Crow on pine branch.

about 1868-1889

Hanging scroll; ink on paper

The Battle of Nagashino: The Death of Yamagata Saburōhei Masakage (Nagashino kassen Yamagata Saburōhei Masakage uchijini no zu) by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

The Battle of Nagashino: The Death of Yamagata Saburōhei Masakage (Nagashino kassen Yamagata Saburōhei Masakage uchijini no zu)

1868

Print

Fisherman (posthumous edition, 1960), Meiji period, dated 1904 by Kanae Yamamoto

Fisherman (posthumous edition, 1960), Meiji period, dated 1904

Meiji period, 1868-1912

Woodblock print

Triptych: Village of Cherry Blossoms, from the series Esteemed Towns and Villages (Tôsei furaku tsû), Meiji period, 1897 by Miyagawa Shuntei

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

Meiji period, 1868-1912

Woodblock print

Yamamoto Kansuke Killing a Wild Boar by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Yamamoto Kansuke Killing a Wild Boar

1868, 4th lunar month

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

Preparatory drawing of Sakuma Dennai by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Preparatory drawing of Sakuma Dennai

circa 1868

Preparatory drawing for a print, ink and color on paper

Nine-Tailed-Turtle Tao Zongwang by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Nine-Tailed-Turtle Tao Zongwang

1868, 7th lunar month

Preparatory drawing for a print, ink and color on paper

Negoro no Komitsucha by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Negoro no Komitsucha

1868, 9th lunar month

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

11, Chikamatsu Kanroku Minamoto Yukishige by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

11, Chikamatsu Kanroku Minamoto Yukishige

1868, 6th lunar month

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

Komagine Hachibei by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Komagine Hachibei

1868, 8th lunar month

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

Complete set of the series: The Twelve Zodiac Signs with Heroes by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Complete set of the series: The Twelve Zodiac Signs with Heroes

c. 1868

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

The Boatman Zhang Heng by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

The Boatman Zhang Heng

1868, 8th lunar month

Preparatory drawing for a print, ink and color on paper

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