風俗画報|Fūzoku gahō (Illustrated Customs) Vol. 1 (issues 1–10)
Unknown Artist
1889
Medium
Woodblock-printed book; ink on paper
Dimensions
Image: 9 13/16 × 7 5/16 in. (25 × 18.5 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Betty and Paul Nomura, in memory of Nomura Shōjirō, 2018
Accession Number
2018.954.44b
Art Historical Context
This woodblock-printed book, titled *Fūzoku gahō* (Illustrated Customs), compiles the first ten issues of a popular Meiji-period periodical from 1889. Produced with ink on paper in the traditional Japanese technique of woodblock printing, it captures the everyday life, fashion, and social practices of Japan during a time of rapid modernization. The Meiji era (1868–1912) marked Japan’s opening to Western influences, and publications like this served as visual records of customs that were beginning to evolve. As an illustrated volume, it highlights the enduring role of woodblock printing in mak...