Edo
江戸
The former name of Tokyo during the period 1603-1868, when it served as the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Edo period was the golden age of ukiyo-e, and the city was the primary center of woodblock print production and commerce.
Related Terms
Egoyomi
絵暦
Pictorial calendars that cleverly concealed the long and short months of the Japanese lunar calendar within decorative images. These privately commissioned prints were exchanged as New Year's gifts and played a crucial role in the development of full-color printing.
Aiban
間判
A medium-sized print format measuring approximately 33 x 23 cm. The term translates to 'intermediate size' and was commonly used for actor prints and bijin-ga during the Edo period.
Aizuri-e
藍摺絵
Prints produced entirely in shades of blue, using imported Prussian blue (bero-ai) pigment. This technique became popular in the 1830s, most famously employed by Hokusai in his 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' series. The monochromatic blue palette created a distinctive, atmospheric quality.