Rising Sun Falling Rain: Hasui - The Temple of Zojoji

Ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” emerged as a defining artistic genre during Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868), an era of significant cultural transformation. Initially centered on the vibrant urban life of licensed pleasure quarters—depicting kabuki theaters, teahouses, and brothels—ukiyo-e gradually expanded in subject matter in response to shifting social interests, increased domestic travel, government censorship, and contact with Western art. Themes came to include nature, landscapes, poetry, literature, and folklore. Rising Sun, Falling Rain: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Hasui - The Temple of Zōjōji, Shiba, from the series Twenty Views of Tokyo, 1925 Dimension: 4" x 6"