Ukiyo-e was a popular style of Japanese art in the Edo (Tokyo) period. During this time, the shoguns had complete miliary and political control and kept the nation isolated from the rest of the world. Ukiyo means "floating world" and was a play on the Buddhist term from the earthly life "the sorrowful world." Ukiyo is also a term used to describe the Japanese urban lifestyle. The art of the period was closely associated with the pleasures of citylife, adveristing or immortalizing the theatre, restaurants, teahouses, geishs, and other aspects of the courtesan life. Some Ukiyo-e artists were more concerned with a love of nature and had an international impact on landscape oil painting.
The school was founded by 17th century artist Hishikawa Moronobu and included other notable artists such as Hiroshige, Hokusai, Utamaro, and Sharaku.The movement is recognized for its woodblock prints, which became popular in Europe after 1867. The Ukiyo-e movement has a strong influence on the Impressionists and the Art Nouveau style. In return, the Japanese artists began incorporating western techniques and subject matter into their work.