I went to see an exhibition entitled "Fascinating Japaese Woodcut Prints" at the Yokohama Museum of Art in the Minato Mirai area, Yokohama on a cold Monday afternoon, March 11, 2014. What impressed me most was that the woodblock prints from the late Edo Period were so closely linked to the everyday life of ordinary people: the prints had been used for tabloid bulletines, pictures of famous Kabuki stars or sumo wreslers, travel guides, an advertisement for herbal medicine, paper bags for sweets, drawings for fans, book covers, to name but a few.
The exhibition also displayed the evolution of woodblock prints up to now, showing the works of contemporary artists. After seeing the exhibition, I took a stroll near the museum and took these photos.