Customs of the Eastern Capital (Edo) (Azuma no teburi あづまの手ぶり) 1829

Onishi Chinnen made this woodblock print, Customs of the Eastern Capital (Edo), in nineteenth-century Japan. It’s a simple scene: a lone fisherman works on a small boat. But it gives us a glimpse into a culture undergoing immense transformation. Woodblock prints like this one were part of a thriving popular culture in Edo, now Tokyo. The Tokugawa shogunate controlled Japan at this time, enforcing strict social hierarchies and isolationist policies. Yet, paradoxically, this period saw the growth of a merchant class and a vibrant urban culture. Prints became a way to circulate images and ideas widely. They offered views of everyday life and allowed artists and consumers to represent the city in new ways. As historians, we can use sources such as diaries, government records, and even other prints to better understand the social forces at play. Art is never made in a vacuum. It reflects and shapes the world around it.