Ukiyo-e

Perfect for upper beginner and intermediate students of Japanese. This Japanese history reader contains three essays on ukiyo-e, Japan's most celebrated gift to the world of art.

Learn how "pictures of the floating world" were made, meet the masters who defined the form, and discover how their prints—arriving in Europe as packing material—set off a craze that reshaped Western painting.

Ukiyo-e Part I: How woodblock prints were made, and how one small mark (the kentō) brought them color

Ukiyo-e Part II: The masters—Moronobu, Utamaro, Sharaku, Hiroshige, and Hokusai

Ukiyo-e Part III: How ukiyo-e reached Europe and transformed Western art

Yes, you can read real Japanese—even if you are fairly new to the language. Every essay is built so you're never stuck.

FEATURES:

Before You Read primers give you the historical background and grammar patterns to watch for

Every sentence is presented one per page with furigana on all kanji, a complete vocabulary list, and grammar explanations

Grammar spotlights, cultural notes, and maps of Japan appear right where you need them

The full essay in Japanese only (no gloss) lets you practice reading without interruption

Review & Practice: true-or-false, comprehension, particle, and translation exercises for every essay, with a complete answer key

Kanji in Focus gives every key kanji its own page: stroke-order diagram, readings, component parts, and a memory hook

An English summary of each essay to check your understanding (Don't cheat! Work through the Japanese first!)

FREE MP3 audio recorded by a professional native speaker at two speeds: natural pace and slow & clear—no sign-up required

FREE Anki flashcard decks to master the vocabulary

Every sentence also lives in the Makoto+ Sentence Explorer—tap to hear audio, see word-by-word breakdowns, and quiz yourself on the web or in the free Makoto app for iOS and Android

PDF and EPUB editions included at no extra cost

Hiragana knowledge is required, and we recommend a solid understanding of basic Japanese grammar and sentence structure first. If a passage feels tough, the vocabulary notes, app, and Anki decks will get you through.

To your Japanese!