Ukiyo-e (浮世絵) - or "pictures of the floating world" - is an art form of woodblock prints established in the Edo period. Dating back to the 1600s and flourishing throughout the 1800s, renowned artists such as Hokusai and Hiroshige brought life into the landscape genre of Japanese art. Their artworks depicted serene travel scenes, snippets of flora and fauna and their aesthetic leaned more towards imagination and atmosphere rather than a strict observance of nature. Amidst a period of urbanization, these prints became immensely popular amongst the merchant class as it symbolized travel and leisure in Japan's growing economy.

Asai Ryōi, a novelist in the Edo period, gives an insight into the idea of the floating world in his Ukiyo monogatari: "Living only for the moment, turning our full attention to the pleasures of the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the maple leaves; singing songs, drinking wine, diverting ourselves in just floating, floating; ... refusing to be disheartened, like a gourd floating along with the river current: this is what we call the floating world".

Not only is it the most predominant art form of its era, ukiyo-e is also the first form of Japanese artwork that foreigners encountered after centuries of seclusion. This opened up Japan to the outside world, and resulted in a trend of Japonisme which both inspired and influenced French impressionists such as Van Gogh, Cézanne, Whistler and Monet. Many of which have attempted at copying and building upon the crafts of the great masters, and evidence of Japanese influence are evident in their later works as they continue to reflect Japanese culture and tradition. One could say that ukiyo-e is what gave birth to the modern Japanese art scene.

As of 2016, the record price for a ukiyo-e piece, Fukaku Shinobu Koi, was sold at auction for ¥100million.