Japan Awakens Woodblock Prints of the Meiji Period

This book uses the woodblock prints of Japan's Meiji era to explore a remarkable period of rapid societal, industrial, military, and cultural modernization, when Japan metamorphosed from feudal state to modern industrial and military power. The popular woodblock prints of the period serve as snapshots of a modern society in the making. Three thematic essays by Barry Till trace the links between the revival of imperial rule and forces both national and international, connecting formal and aesthetic changes in fine-art prints to these events. Prints by Chikanobu, Kobayashi, and Yoshitoshi-among many others-create a visual feast of narrative scenes from this fascinating period of Japanese history.