[Yeouido Art Museum]⑦ Ukiyo-e, Japan's Modernization Blossomed in Edo

Mass-produced Japanese woodblock prints popular in the Edo period
Depicting beauties, daily life, landscapes, and diverse public interests
Strengthening centralization through Sankin-kotai system... Ukiyo-e spreads nationwide
Development of monetary economy sows seeds of capitalism system

Edo Attractions 100 Views - Shower on Shin Ohashi Bridge, Ando Hiroshige

Today, we begin with a work that suits a rainy day. Shall we take a closer look? Your gaze is drawn to the wooden bridge pouring with rain. Looking at the painting, it creates the illusion that people are swiftly walking through the rain. There is a reason for this. The background falls from the upper left to the lower right, and the wooden bridge extends from the lower left to the upper right. Our eyes are also directed to the right. The rain falls vertically, and the composition of the painting crosses horizontally, creating a dynamic flow of movement.

The color scheme is also astonishing. Shall we look at the very top of the painting? The black color expresses dark clouds. The following gray represents the overcast weather, and the trees below reveal only their shapes, soaked with moisture. The river also expresses depth through color. The deep blue conveys even the sudden shower’s chilling water temperature.

From the sky to the river, it is handled solely through shades of color. Truly remarkable. This is the famous work by Ando Hiroshige titled "Sudden Shower over Shin-?hashi Bridge." Ando Hiroshige is a representative ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period.

'Mount Fuji seen behind the waves in Shinagawa' (Fugaku Sanjurokkei 中), Nishiki-e, Katsushika Hokusai (1760~1849)

Ukiyo-e is a Japanese woodblock print popular during the Edo period (present-day Tokyo). Like K-pop, it was a representative art genre of the Edo period. Initially, works were completed mainly with heavy red tones, but in the 18th century, it developed into bright colors. Artists focused more on shapes and lines than on perspective or three-dimensionality. Therefore, flat compositions, vivid and brilliant colors, and bold outlines are characteristic.

The second ukiyo-e is a work by Katsushika Hokusai, representing the late Edo period. Ukiyo-e was popular throughout Japan. Because it was a woodblock print, mass production was possible, and the subjects of the paintings?landscapes, beauties, daily life?were familiar to the public. Not only in Japan, it crossed over to Europe and greatly influenced Impressionist painters. But today, we will narrow the scope to Japan.

There are political and social reasons why ukiyo-e could become popular nationwide. To conclude, it was due to the system called "Sankin-kotai." Sankin-kotai was a system that required local lords (daimyos) to reside in Edo for one year and then return to their hometown the following year. Originally a hostage system practiced as a custom, it was formalized in 1635 by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Edo shogunate.

The effects of Sankin-kotai were beyond imagination. Politically, it completed a strong centralized government. Geographically, it established a nationwide network centered on Edo. Historians evaluate the Edo period as a time recognizing national unity, unlike the past, which had strong local decentralization tendencies. Therefore, the painting culture called ukiyo-e could quickly spread throughout Japan.

The economic ripple effects were also significant. Sankin-kotai was basically a large-scale expedition involving hundreds of people moving. Maintaining roads to avoid schedule disruptions was fundamental. Naturally, roads and logistics networks were developed centered on Edo, and logistics operators for transporting goods appeared at key points. Traveling incurred considerable costs for lodging and expenses. Lodging facilities and commercial areas were established, and naturally, the monetary economy developed.

In fact, one of the three great domains, Satsuma Domain, has records showing 588 people traveled 1,644 km over 73 days. When converted to current currency, the cost for travel alone was 680 million yen (approximately 62.3573 billion KRW), and including Edo living expenses, 2.1 billion yen (approximately 192.5742 billion KRW) was spent.

This was a significant burden for each domain, as it accounted for 50-60% of their financial expenditures. On the other hand, the expenses of the daimyo parties became income for merchants and laborers. At the same time, daimyos raised funds for Sankin-kotai by borrowing money from merchants in Osaka and other places using rice as collateral, and some daimyos provided merchants with rights to their territories, shaking the foundations of the social class system.

It is commonly said that the starting point of Japan’s modernization is the "Meiji Restoration." The Meiji Restoration was not a reform that happened overnight. Japan had a developed monetary economy since the Edo period through Sankin-kotai. This expanded the middle class and improved the purchasing power of commoners. The seeds of capitalism were already sprouting in the Edo period.

My interest in ukiyo-e began with the exhibition "Urban Landscape of the Sumida River in the Edo Period" held last year at the Seoul Museum of History. Edo, as seen through ukiyo-e, was more splendid than expected and had the framework of a modern city. I was surprised to see Edo people enjoying cherry blossom viewing, fireworks, and gourmet tours just like today. Japan is a country both familiar and unfamiliar. If you feel distant from Japan, how about approaching it first through paintings?

[References]

, Junichi Okubo, translated by Yeonsik Lee, AK

, Sangmok Shin, Root and Leaf

, Hoon Park, Minumsa