Tokugawa Japan

Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868), also known as the Edo period, is considered one of the more momentous periods in Japan’s established past. The Edo period is known for its more than 250 years of peace after a period of unrest and civil wars. During this period of peace, many forms of cultural expression were able to manifest and develop. These include, kabuki, the tea ceremony, martial arts, and specifically, woodblock prints. Because of the newfound support for visual and performing arts, this new artistic community left a permanent mark on the cultural trends during the Edo period. Japanese Woodblock prints from the Edo period can be used to identify the influence of Buddhism, Tokugawa Japan’s social hierarchy, developing urbanization, rapid economic increase, the emergence of a new merchant culture, and the growth of agricultural production and trade.
Ukiyo-e, woodblock prints from the Tokugawa period, has origins in Buddhism; ukiyo-e translates to “pictures of the floating world.” Both woodblock prints, “Honjo tatekawa” and “Keishi,” stand as examples of the influence of Buddhism throughout the Tokugawa period. During the Tokugawa Japan, Buddhism was the dominant religion. Virtually every Japanese living in this period was a Buddhist. Using this information, one can assume that all of the people in both of the woodblock prints practice Buddhism. The two woodblock prints, “Honjo tatekawa” and “Keishi,” are part of the concept, Ukiyo-e. Initially, the Buddhist concept, Ukiyo-e was thought to invoke the sadness of life, but during the Edo period, another ideograph, meaning “to float,” surfaced. Ukiyo-e is the expression used for woodblock prints and other styles of art.
In Tokugawa Japan, the social hierarchy was divided into four major classes, which can be seen in the woodblock prints that originate from this period. At the top of the of the social hierarchy was the emperor, who had little to no power, and was seen as more of a figure for people to look up to. The supreme military leader, the Shogun, was the actual ruler, who appointed the daimyo, feudal lords that governed over the land areas the Shogun was unable to. The first class of the social hierarchy was the samurai.