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Japan: 'Shelter from the Rain, Encounters on the Road at New Year, No. 6: Actors Ichikawa Kodanji IV, Iwai Kumesaburo III, Bando Hikosaburo IV'. Part of triptych print by Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1865), 1855. Utagawa Kunisada, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III, was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of <i>ukiyo-e</i> woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. His favourite subjects were pleasure-houses and tea ceremonies.
Japan: 'Kanagawa Station: Actor Ichikawa Ebizo V as Ferryman Tonbei'. From the series 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road' by Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1865), 1852. Utagawa Kunisada, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III, was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of <i>ukiyo-e</i> woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. His favourite subjects were pleasure-houses and tea ceremonies.
Japan: 'Shelter from the Rain, Encounters on the Road at New Year, No. 5: Actors Arashi Kichisaburo III, Asao Okuyama III, Ichikawa Hirogoro I, Nakamura Daikichi III'. Part of triptych print by Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1865), 1855. Utagawa Kunisada, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III, was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of <i>ukiyo-e</i> woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. His favourite subjects were pleasure-houses and tea ceremonies.
Japan: 'Shelter from the Rain, Encounters on the Road at New Year, No. 4: Actors Sawamura Tossho II, Nakamura Tsuruzo I, Kawarazaki Gonjuro I'. Part of triptych print by Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1865), 1855. Utagawa Kunisada, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III, was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of <i>ukiyo-e</i> woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. His favourite subjects were pleasure-houses and tea ceremonies.
Japan: 'Act Seven'. Woodblock print from act seven of the <i>Chushingura</i> by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), c. 1840-1860. Utagawa Kunisada, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III, was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi.
Japan: 'Tale of the Courtesan Shiratama'. Woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), 1861. Utagawa Kunisada, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III, was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of <i>ukiyo-e</i> woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi.
Japan: 'Twilight Snow on Mount Fuji: Complete View of the Back Shrine and the Middle Shrine at Shimo Sengen'. From the series 'Eight Views of Famous Places' by Utagawa Toyokuni II (1777-1835), c. 1833-1834. Utagawa Toyokuni II, also known as Toyoshige, was a ukiyo-e woodblock artist in Edo. He was the pupil and son-in-law of Utagawa Toyokuni I, and only began using his teacher's name after his death in 1825. Kunisada, another of Toyokuni I's students, did not recognise Toyoshige's claims and declared himself 'Toyokuni', becoming leader of the school. Toyoshige resumed signing his work 'Toyoshige'.
The Namazu, also called the Onamazu, is a creature in Japanese mythology and folktales. The Namazu is a gigantic catfish said to cause earthquakes and tremors. Living in the mud under the Japanese isles, the Namazu is guarded by the protector god Kashima, who restrains the catfish using the <i>kaname-ishi</i> rock. Whenever Kashima lets his guard down, Namazu thrashes about and causes violent earthquakes.<br/><br/>

The Namazu rose to new fame and popularity after the Ansei great earthquakes that happened near Edo in 1855. This led to the Namazu being worshipped as a god of world rectification (<i>yonaoshi daimyojin</i>), sent by the gods to correct some of the imbalances in the world.<br/><br/> 

Catfish woodblock prints known as <i>namazu-e</i> became their own popular genre within days of the earthquake. They were usually unsigned and often depicted scenes of a namazu or many namazu atoning for their deeds. They were quickly squashed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the prints censored and destroyed, with only a handful surviving to this day.
Japan: 'Ichikawa Harima No. 7: Okaru Sawamura Shozo'. Woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1865), 19th century. Utagawa Kunisada, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III, was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of <i>ukiyo-e</i> woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. His favourite subjects were pleasure-houses and tea ceremonies.
Utagawa Toyokuni (1769 - February 24, 1825), also often referred to as Toyokuni I, to distinguish him from the members of his school who took over his gō (art-name after he died) was a great master of ukiyo-e, known in particular for his Kabuki actor prints.<br/><br/>

Utagawa was one of the heads of the renowned Utagawa school of Japanese woodblock artists, and was the person who really moved it to the position of great fame and power it occupied for the rest of the nineteenth century.
Utagawa Toyokuni (1769 in Edo – 24 February 1825 in Edo), also often referred to as Toyokuni I to distinguish him from the members of his school who took over his gō (art-name) after he died, was a great master of ukiyo-e, known in particular for his kabuki actor prints.<br/><br/>

He was the second head of the renowned Utagawa school of Japanese woodblock artists, and was the artist who really moved it to the position of great fame and power it occupied for the rest of the nineteenth century.
Utagawa Toyokuni (1769 in Edo – 24 February 1825 in Edo), also often referred to as Toyokuni I to distinguish him from the members of his school who took over his gō (art-name) after he died, was a great master of ukiyo-e, known in particular for his kabuki actor prints.<br/><br/>

He was the second head of the renowned Utagawa school of Japanese woodblock artists, and was the artist who really moved it to the position of great fame and power it occupied for the rest of the nineteenth century.
Utagawa Toyokuni (1769 in Edo – 24 February 1825 in Edo), also often referred to as Toyokuni I to distinguish him from the members of his school who took over his gō (art-name) after he died, was a great master of ukiyo-e, known in particular for his kabuki actor prints.<br/><br/>

He was the second head of the renowned Utagawa school of Japanese woodblock artists, and was the artist who really moved it to the position of great fame and power it occupied for the rest of the nineteenth century.
Japan: 'Actor Onoe Kikujiro II as Fusahachi's Wife Onui'. From the series 'The Book of the Eight Dog Heroes' by Utagawa Kunisada II (1823-1880), 1852. Utagawa Kunisada II was a Japanese <i>ukiyo-e</i> printmaker, one of three to take the name 'Utagawa Kunisada'.<br/><br/>

Kunisada II is renowned for his prints. His favourite subjects were pleasure-houses and tea ceremonies. These themes are sometimes found together in some of his prints, as geishas usually acted as chaperones at tea-houses.