Ukiyo-e goods sold in Japan are one of the most popular souvenirs among foreigners. There are various types of the same Ukiyo-e goods, such as original Ukiyo-e reprints, folding fans, furoshiki (wrapping cloth), mini tumblers, and so on. There may be people from abroad who are traveling to Japan and want to buy Ukiyo-e goods with original Japanese designs that are rare in their own countries, or want to give Ukiyo-e goods to their friends as souvenirs of Japan. Therefore, this article introduces recommended Japanese souvenirs “Ukiyo-e goods” for foreigners. Please refer to them when you stop by department stores and general merchandise stores during your trip to Kyoto and Osaka.
Reprint of Katsushika Hokusai’s representative Ukiyo-e “Fugaku Sanjurokkei Kanagawa-okiarani-ura” (Thirty-six views of Mt. Fuji, Kanagawa-okiarani-ura)
The recommended Ukiyo-e souvenir for foreigners is “Fugaku Sanjurokkei Kanagawa-okiinamiura” (19,800 yen including tax), a reprint of an Ukiyo-e print.
Fugaku Sanjurokkei Kanagawa-oki Namiura (Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji, Kanagawa-oki Namiura)” is a masterpiece by Katsushika Hokusai, an ukiyoe artist of the Edo period, and is widely known in Japan and abroad. This work features a composition of huge waves and a small fishing boat challenging them, painted from off the coast of Honmoku, Yokohama, with Mt. Reflecting Hokusai’s many years of research, this ukiyoe masterfully depicts the contrast between stillness and motion, nature and man, and is in the collections of museums in Japan and abroad. The reprinted editions are finished by modern craftsmen using traditional woodblock printing techniques, newly carving the woodblocks and printing one color on top of another, allowing visitors to enjoy the traditional Japanese techniques and beauty. Fugaku Sanjurokkei Kanagawaoki Namiura, also known as the “Great Wave,” is a masterpiece that continues to influence Western artists. It is a recommended souvenir for art lovers.
The fan “Akafuji (Triumphant and Clear)” with the symbolic red Mt. Fuji depicted in Ukiyoe.
The next popular Ukiyo-e souvenir of Japan for foreigners is the “Fan, Akafuji (Triumphantly Clear)” (2,650 yen including tax).
The “Triumphant Wind and Clear Red Fuji” is one of Hokusai Katsushika’s “Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji” and depicts Mt. Fuji turning red in the early summer morning as it is caught by a southerly (triumphant) wind. Fuji’s imposing appearance in vivid red and blue contrasts, and this piece beautifully captures the beauty of the moment. This fan with the “Red Fuji” motif combines practicality and artistry, and features a design that can be used by both men and women. The materials used are paper and bamboo, manufactured using traditional Japanese techniques. The cool practicality as a fan and the pleasure of holding Hokusai’s masterpiece in one’s hand will color one’s daily life. They are also popular as gifts, and are recommended as souvenirs that allow you to easily experience the beauty of Ukiyo-e.
Japanese Pattern Small Furoshiki Tapestry Set / Kansei Sanbijin (Three Beauties of Kansei)” featuring Ukiyoe patterns depicting beautiful women of the Kansei period
The “Japanese Pattern Small Furoshiki Tapestry Set / Kansei Sanbijin” (1,210 yen including tax) is another Ukiyo-e souvenir recommended as a gift of Japan for foreigners.
This Ukiyoe merchandise is a small furoshiki cloth wrapped in a motif of “Kansei no Sanbijin” (Three Beauties of Kansei) painted by Utamaro Kitagawa. The “Three Beauties of Kansei,” a work by Utamaro Kitagawa, is a masterpiece of Ukiyoe that depicts real beauties from the Kansei period. This furoshiki is small, lightweight, and comes in a set with a tapestry stick, making it an attractive interior decoration item. The furoshiki is an item that symbolizes the “mottainai” culture, which represents the Japanese practice of using things to the last as long as they remain in their original form. As a result, the furoshiki is highly appreciated overseas as well, as it evokes the traditional beauty of environmentally conscious Japan. The furoshiki also comes with an instruction manual that describes “the origin and usage of furoshiki,” making it a popular gift for foreigners.
Ukiyo-e goods that can be carried around: “Mini Tumbler / Beadle Blowing Girl
Next, we recommend the “Mini Tumbler / Beadle Blowing Girl” (660 yen including tax) as a Japanese souvenir Ukiyo-e goods for foreigners.
This mini tumbler is a portable tumbler with the motif of Utamaro Kitagawa’s painting of beautiful women, “Ten Beauties of Women and Men: The Beadle Blowing Girl” (660 yen including tax). The work by Utamaro Kitagawa, “Women and Women in Ten Scenes of Life: A Beadle Blowing Girl,” depicts a town girl in a red checkered kimono blowing a beadle, and is popular as a refreshing and friendly portrait of a beautiful woman. The tumbler is compact in size and has a lid, making it ideal for carrying coffee or tea. In addition, the tumbler helps reduce the use of disposable cups and plastic bottles, making it an item that supports an eco-friendly lifestyle. Ukiyoe goods are especially recommended for those who are in the habit of using tumblers.
Ukiyoe block memo/Kameido Umeyashiki” is an ideal practical souvenir
Ukiyoe block memo/Kameido Umeyashiki” (550 yen including tax) is another Ukiyoe product recommended as a Japanese souvenir for foreigners.
This Ukiyoe block memo is an Ukiyoe product that combines practicality and artistry. Each page is printed with a beautiful Ukiyoe picture, and every time you use it, you will feel the traditional beauty of Japan. The “Kameido Umeyashiki” depicted on the memo is a famous ukiyoe scene of plum blossoms in the garden of “Seika-an,” a villa of Iseya Hikouemon, a kimono merchant in the Edo period, which has been depicted in many Ukiyoe works. In particular, Hiroshige Utagawa’s ukiyoe depicting the “Kameido Umeyashiki” is highly regarded worldwide, as Van Gogh copied it. The beauty of the ume tree and the symbolic vitality of its branches were also referred to by Yoshimune Tokugawa, the 8th shogun of the Edo Shogunate, as “the ume of the heir”. Small and easy to use, this notepad is also noted as a stylish museum item, and would be a welcome gift with a distinctly Japanese flavor for everyday use.
Ukiyoe Clear File: Nu/Edobe” with impressive motifs with impact
The last Ukiyoe product recommended as a Japanese souvenir for foreigners is the “Ukiyoe Clear File: Nu/Edobe” (198 yen including tax).
This Ukiyoe clear file is a convenient clear file with impressive Ukiyoe prints for organizing documents. Clear files are durable and can be used for a long time, making them popular as practical Japanese souvenirs. The depicted “Nut-boy Edobei” is an ukiyoe based on the play “Koi Nyobo Somebun Tezuna” performed at the Kawarazaki-za theater in Kansei 6, featuring a dramatic Edo Period story in the background, with powerful facial expressions and strong poses. In particular, the figure of Edo Hyoue, played by kabuki actor Otani Onitsugu III, still leaves a strong impression on ukiyoe viewers. This is the perfect souvenir for those who love unique items that remind them of Japanese history and art.
Conclusion
In this article, we have introduced six Ukiyo-e goods that we recommend to foreigners as Japanese souvenirs. In Japan, there are many Ukiyo-e goods with impact, such as block memos and clear files. Many of the motifs used in Ukiyo-e goods are well-known works, such as “Kanagawa Okinamiura” (36 Views of Mount Fuji) and “Akafuji (Triumphal Clear Sky)” by Katsushika Hokusai, and “Kansei Sanbijin” (Three Beauties of Kansei) by Kitagawa Utamaro. If you are interested in such uniquely Japanese Ukiyo-e goods, we recommend visiting department stores and general merchandise stores in Kyoto and Osaka. We encourage you to consider which souvenirs you would like to purchase by seeing them with your own eyes.
