Subject & Course Guides: Japanese Studies Reference: Art History: Ukiyo-e / NIshiki-e Image Databases

浮世絵・錦絵 sites and databases

ふじのくにアーカイブ: 静岡県立中央図書館所蔵資料 = Digital Archive at Shizuoka Prefectural Central Library
A gateway to the digital collections created by Shizuoka Prefectural Central Library. Includes special collections as well as ukiyoe, old maps, post cards, local history, etc.
早稲田大学演劇博物館所蔵浮世絵閲覧システム = Image Database of Ukiyoe Collection, Theatre Museum, Waseda University
Tokyo Archive = Tokyo アーカイブ
Part of the digital collection provided by Tokyo Metropolitan Library. To search 「浮世絵」within this system, select the thumbnail image of ukiyoe in the screen.
国立歴史民俗博物館所蔵錦絵データベース = Nishik-e Database, National Museum of Japanese History
大阪府立中之島図書館所蔵「錦絵にみる大阪の風景」
幕末・明治の錦絵など大阪風景版画250点を公開。
滑稽浪花名所全三十景
This digital collection features the 30 ukiyoe by Utagawa Yoshiume (1819-1879), provided by Osaka Municipal Library.
錦絵にみる大阪の風景：おおさかｅコレクション
Created by 大阪府立中之島図書館, 250 ukiyoe images are searchable by genre, artist, place and current place name.
『浮世絵芸術』データベース
Archive of the 10 back issues of 『浮世絵芸術』 (Ukiyoe geijutsu), published from 1962 to 2009. Searchable by keywords in the title and author's name.
艶本資料データベース
Provides bibliographic information and images of more than 750 "enpon (erotic books)," collected by Nichibunken. Registration required. (added 6/27/14)
近世艶本総合データベース
Created by the Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University. This database is intended to help search bibliographic information and the holding libraries of "enpon (erotic books)," published during the Edo Period. (added 6/27/14)
Library of Congress Ukiyoe Collection
This collection includes more than 2,500 images of Japanese woodblock prints held by the Library of Congress. Subjects include actors, women, landscapes, scenes from Japanese literature and daily life, and Western foreigners.
味の元食文化センター　錦絵アーカイブス
This archive includes approx. 140 nishikie prints featuring food and sake. Great resource to study the food culture of Edo period Japan.
鯰絵コレクション = Namazu-e collection (国際日本文化研究センター)
国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション
This is part of the digital collection provided by 国立国会図書館. To search, select 「錦絵」 or "Nishiki-e" to limit your search. An English search screen is available, but search terms must be in Japanese.
Ukiyo-e caricatures 1842-1905
Created by Department of East Asian Studies - Japanese Studies, University of Vienna, this database allows users to search "woodblock print caricatures which were commercially published between the Tenpō reforms (1842) and the Russo-Japanese War (1905). The trilingual database (in German, English and Japanese) is available online in order to make an important genre in ukiyo-e readily accessible to the public as well as to scholars around the world" (taken from main site).
Ukiyoe collection available at 山口県立萩美術館・浦上記念館
Part of the digital collection at 萩美術館.
横浜絵・開化絵の世界
Features 82 ukiyoe prints which depict Yokohama Port, collected by 神奈川県立図書館.
浮世絵・番付 (阪急文化アーカイブズ)
Part of the digital collection by 阪急文化財団池田文庫, which focuses on 役者絵 and other stage performance related prints.
実業史錦絵絵引データベース
Provided by 渋沢栄一記念財団 (Shibuzawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation), this database allows users to search by tools, persons, and dresses depicted in the pictures.
高橋浮世絵コレクション = Takahashi Ukiyo-e Collection (慶応大学)
This collection is comprised of almost 1,500 works.
ボン浮世絵コレクション = George S.Bonn Collection of Ukiyo-e in the Meiji Period (慶応大学)
"This is a collection of over 860 Ukiyo-e from the final years of the Tokugawa Shogunate and Meiji period assembled by Professor George S. Bonn (1913-2003), who taught at Keio University" (taken from the main site).
名古屋TV浮世絵美術館 = Nagoya TV Ukiyo-e Museum
This virtual museum was created by Nagoya TV, and portrays more than 8,000 ukiyo-e prints, donated by Mr. Yasuo Yajima, Management Director for the Asahi Shinbun. The collection includes prints created during the Edo period, including those by Hishikawa Moronobu, known as the founder of ukiyo-e. The collection also includes such local prints as Kamigata-e, Nagasaki-e, Yokohama-e Kaika-e (blossoming prints), and works in the 19th and 20th centuries.
文化デジタルライブラリー (日本芸術文化振興会)
This is part of the digital collection provided by 日本芸術文化振興会 (Japan Arts Council). This database allows users to search by title, personal names of actors, original artists, engravers, rakkan seals, publishers, etc.
錦絵で楽しむ江戸の名所 (国立国会図書館)
Created by 国立国会図書館 (National Diet Library of Japan). "This exhibition presents 484 nishiki-e picturing 103 landmarks of Edo. Each page of a landmark gives a description, and present-day address, and with nishiki-e thumbnails, adds links to illustrated geographical booklets Edo Meisho Zue, and pictorial maps of Edo. In addition, linking to the existing exhibition 'The Meiji and Taisho Eras in Photographs,' it is possible to see photographs of landmarks of Edo in and after the Meiji Era" (taken from the main site).
Noh related prints by Tsukioka Kōgyo, The University of Pittsburgh Library System
The University of Pittsburgh Library System has digitized four complete sets that depict Noh theater, 「能樂圖繪 (Pictures of Noh)」「能楽百番 (Prints of One Hundred Noh Plays)」「能画大鑑 (A Great Collection of Prints of Noh Plays)」and 「狂言五十番 (Fifty Kyōgen Plays) 」.
Barry Rosensteel Japanese Print Collection, The University of Pittsburgh Library System
Consists of 275, most of which were produced in the 1800s, covering approx. 40 artists.
函館市中央図書館デジタル資料館
This digital library introduces approx. 140 nishikie, many of which depict historical moments in the turn of the 20th century, including the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War.
赤穂市「忠臣蔵」浮世絵デジタル展示室
This database showcases Ako City's Chushingura Ukiyoe collection.
島根県立美術館の浮世絵コレクション = Ukiyoe Collection of Shimane Art Museum
Shimane Art Museum owns approx. 3,000 ukiyoe works, known as "Shinjo Collection" and "Nagata Collection." This sites introduces some of representative works from these collections as well as those which were purchased by the museum.
Gas Museum「明治錦絵の世界」
Color prints collection by Gas Museum. The database is searchable by the artist's name or keyword.

NDL Image Bank (NEW!)

NDL Image Bank

The National Diet Library have allowed artwork in their possession to enter the public domain. The NDL Image Bank has approximately 1900 free to use images such as ukiyo-e prints, photos, books, and magazines. As long as the National Diet Library is credited using NDLイメージバンク, these images can be used for personal and commercial use.

Virtual Exhibition

The Mount Fuji Challenges: Hokusai and Hiroshige
Created as a part of the Exhibition The Mount Fuji Challenges: Hokusai and Hiroshige," by Edo Tokyo Museum, this virtual exhibition allows users to explore the exhibition. Click the circle placed over each exhibited item to read the brief description about the art work.
This virtual exhibition will be closed on March 2022.
Aftershocks: Japanese Earthquake Prints
Online exhibition available at the Royal Ontario Museum’s website. This exhibition features the album of prints called "namazu-e (catfish prints)," created after the 1855 Ansei Great Earthquake. This online exhibition includes introductory video, related programs and resources for educators are all accessible from the above website.

浮世絵・錦絵 Portal Sites

ARC浮世絵ポータル = ARC Ukiyo-e Portal Database
Users can search ukiyoe available via Web. An English search screen is available, but search terms must be in Japanese.
「万物絵本大全図」by 北斎 (from ARC 浮世絵ポータルデータベース)
From ARC 浮世絵ポータルデータベース, this links to Hokusai's group of 103 once-lost drawings, rediscovered and acquired by the British Museum in 2019.
Japanese Woodblock Print Search 浮世絵検索
This website allows users to search ukiyoe images from multiple institutions, as well as upload an image to find the same ukiyoe at other institutions.
デジタル浮世絵博物館
Provided by 立命館大学, this website provides a gateway to different ukiyoe databases and scholarly works on ukiyoe.
錦絵データベース（東京大学史料編纂所） = Nishiki-e database, Historiographical Institute, Tokyo University
An index database for the nishikie collections owned by 東京大学史料編纂所, 静岡県立中央図書館, and 横浜開港資料館. Images are available for the collection held by 史料編纂所.

Ukiyo-e, Nishiki-e Related Sites

Videos

This video demonstrates the process of woodblock printing.

This video explains the printing technique called "kappazuri," which is similar to stencil printing. This video introduces Mori Yoshitoshi, famous for applying this kappazuri technique for his print works.