One of the most beloved characters in manga and anime history is now available as an ukiyo-e woodblock print!
ukiyo-e (Page 3)
When Japanese travelers go abroad, they’ll be taking some of the country’s most famous and beautiful examples of woodblock print artwork with them.
Finding out you can’t eat soba stinks — but at least this is the coolest way to get bad news!
Japanese toilets continue to lead the way with a new range of beautifully decorative models.
Prized traditional woodblock prints age even more gracefully when they’re recreated in shades of wine.
Mario and Luigi appear in a new artwork that combines traditional Japanese art techniques with the modern-day video game world.
NEC’s creative collaboration with digital artist Atsuki Segawa shows us what it might have looked like if computers existed in Japan during the Edo Period!
Well, now we know that the stylish characters of the hit anime Lupin the Third look awesome as ukiyo-e drawings in traditional Japanese clothing!
From breastfeeding mothers to merchant towns and an evening party with kimono-clad girls in Kyoto, these newly released artworks and photos of old Japan are simply captivating.
Lovers of art, history and animals are celebrating the release of an exclusive set of ukiyoe woodblock prints from 1857 that are now free to download and share online.
In September, we introduced you to the new line of Ghost in the Shell ukiyo-e prints being prepared by OtakuWorks Inc. The first print was a relatively simple but beautiful take on the original movie poster, and while this second entry is equally limited and beautiful, its inspiration comes from a slightly different source: it’s based on the 24-hour Cherry Blossom Stakeout scene from the newest film!
Japanese ukiyo-e painters from the Edo period (1603-1868) are now famous throughout the world for their exquisite woodblock prints depicting everyday Japanese life and the natural world. Such master painters are less well-known, however, for their humorous contributions to the art world, which often feature whimsical scenes of anthropomorphic animals. Fortunately for us, though, these types of pictures are experiencing a recent wave of popularity among Japanese Internet users, and these images are simply too cute for us to just pass up. We’ve got fish, cats, puppies, monkeys, and a few more surprises from the masters in store for you after the jump!
A critical darling, Ghost in the Shell may well be one of the most beloved anime in history. Its compelling story, engaging characters and beautiful art all combine to make one of the most exciting franchises we can name, so it’s little surprise that 25 years after its release, the film remains a fan favorite to this day.
In celebration of the first film and the entire franchise, a special product has been announced: a limited-edition series of ukiyo-e prints featuring images from Ghost in the Shell! But when we say limited-edition, we really do mean limited — only 300 copies will be made!
And they won’t come cheap either…
2015 has been a good year for lovers of Japanese art in Boston. The city’s phenomenal Museum of Fine Arts has hosted not just one, but three special exhibitions of Japanese art so far this year, along with its newly restored Japanese garden outside. The most hyped of all of these is an exhibition dedicated solely to Katsushika Hokusai, one of the most important ukiyo-e painters and printmakers of the Edo period who’s best known as the creator of The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
Besides the Hokusai collection, the museum is also hosting a particularly powerful exhibit displaying the work of 17 photographers in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku triple disasters, along with a lighthearted exhibit showcasing prints of some whimsical Japanese toys and games. As all three of the exhibitions are preparing to wind down within the next few weeks after hosting thousands of visitors over the past months, we thought we’d take a moment to share some of their highlights with you!
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Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】
Monthly
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More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Yearly
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Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
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Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
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Suntory x Super Mario collaboration creates a clever way to transform into Mario【Videos】
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Celebrate another year of life by putting it in jeopardy with this birthday candle flower
Should you warm up your convenience store onigiri rice balls in the microwave?【Taste test】
Fried sandwiches arrive in Tokyo, become hot topic on social media
Ramen and dekotora come together at this restaurant in Japan
Is Japan’s massive Shizuoka steak sandwich really as delicious as it looks in promo photos?
The Gentleman’s Cheese Beef Bowl, invented by Mr. Sato
Tokyo’s spicy cod roe ice cream: An unexpected dessert that tastes about like what you’d expect
We try McDonald’s Japan’s new teriyaki burgers
The day our male reporter used a women’s restroom with other dudes and they learned about otohime
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