ukiyo-e

American  

[yoo-kee-oh-ay, oo-kee-yaw-e] / juˈki oʊˌeɪ, ʊˈki jɔˈɛ /

noun

1. a genre style of painting and printmaking developed in Japan from the 17th to the 19th centuries and marked by the depiction of the leisure activities of ordinary people.

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ukiyo-e British  

/ ˌuːkiːjəʊˈjeɪ /

noun

1. a school of Japanese painting depicting subjects from everyday life

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Etymology

Origin of ukiyo-e

1895–1900; < Japanese, equivalent to uki-yo transitory world ( uki float + yo world) + ( w ) e picture (perhaps < Middle Chinese; compare Chinese huà )

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Explanation

Ukiyo-e is a traditional style of Japanese art that flourished during the Edo period (1603–1868). Hand-painted works and mass-produced woodblock prints depict urban life, popular entertainment, landscapes, and other aspects of Japanese culture. The word ukiyo-e translates to "pictures of the floating world," adapted from a Buddhist term, ukiyo, referring to the transience of life. Ukiyo-e prints often feature bold outlines, flat areas of vibrant color, and unconventional perspectives. Common subjects include Kabuki actors, fashionable women, scenic views, and famous landmarks. This art style inspired Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters like Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Edgar Degas.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ukiyo-e

The genre of Japanese prints called ukiyo-e, meaning “images of the floating world,” first arose in the 17th century and was often distinguished by city scenes, sumo wrestlers and geishas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

But it was not only artists like Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh and Mary Cassat who were moved by artworks such as Katsushika Hokusai’s and Utagawa Hiroshige’s early 19th-century ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2021

The art is the work of Gajin Fujita, a Los Angeles artist known for merging contemporary street art with the centuries-old style of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2019

Utamaro was a draughtsman who contributed prodigiously to the production of ukiyo-e, the prints that depicted the gracious women of the floating world.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2017

Her later inspirations include the Japanese woodblock print style known as ukiyo-e — “It was an instant love,” she says of the distinct style — and, more recently, following her contemporaries on social media.

From The Verge ● Jun. 4, 2016

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