From the 17th to 19th centuries, a genre of Japanese art called ukiyo-e (translated as "pictures of the floating world") focused on colorful depictions of landscapes, performers and sumo wrestlers, and scenes from folklore and history in vibrant woodblock prints.

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), one of the most famous artists of this tradition (and one of the last), was known for his chromatic views depicting such recognizable details as cherry blossom trees and the ever-present snow-capped cone of Mount Fuji. His latest project, an ambitious collection of 120 woodcut illustrations, became known as One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.