Floor plan

North wing: East AsiaThe Floating World

The Floating World

Illustration of a Balloon Ascending (Fūsen shōyō no zu), by Utagawa Yoshitora, November, 1872
“Hour of the Rat: Mistress,” from the series Women’s Daily Customs (Fuzoku bijin tokei), by Kitagawa Utamaro, 1790
A work made of color woodblock print; oban.
France (furansukoku), by Utagawa Yoshitora, 2nd month, 1865
A Picture by Hishikawa Moronobu: Woman with a Set of Poem Cards, by Totoya Hokkei, mid 1820s
Tea House Beside the Kamo River in Kyoto, by Nishimura Shigenaga (Japanese, 1697(?)-1756), 1740s

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Japanese woodblock prints of the floating world: actors, courtesans, landscapes and the sea.

Section 1, north wall

  1. Illustration of a Balloon Ascending (Fūsen shōyō no zu), by Utagawa Yoshitora, November, 1872
    Illustration of a Balloon Ascending (Fūsen shōyō no zu)Utagawa Yoshitora, November, 1872Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. “Hour of the Rat: Mistress,” from the series Women’s Daily Customs (Fuzoku bijin tokei), by Kitagawa Utamaro, 1790
    “Hour of the Rat: Mistress,” from the series Women’s Daily Customs (Fuzoku bijin tokei)Kitagawa Utamaro, 1790Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. A work made of color woodblock print; oban.
    One Person, Six Expressions (Hitori rokumenso)Kobayashi Kiyochika, 1884Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 1, south wall

  1. France (furansukoku), by Utagawa Yoshitora, 2nd month, 1865
    France (furansukoku)Utagawa Yoshitora, 2nd month, 1865Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. A Picture by Hishikawa Moronobu: Woman with a Set of Poem Cards, by Totoya Hokkei, mid 1820s
    A Picture by Hishikawa Moronobu: Woman with a Set of Poem CardsTotoya Hokkei, mid 1820sCourtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. Tea House Beside the Kamo River in Kyoto, by Nishimura Shigenaga (Japanese, 1697(?)-1756), 1740s
    Tea House Beside the Kamo River in KyotoNishimura Shigenaga (Japanese, 1697(?)-1756), 1740sCourtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 2, south wall

  1. Yōrō Waterfall in Mino Province (Mino no Yōrō no taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri), by Katsushika Hokusai, ca. 1832
    Yōrō Waterfall in Mino Province (Mino no Yōrō no taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)Katsushika Hokusai, ca. 1832Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), or The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), by Katsushika Hokusai, ca. 1830–32
    Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), or The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)Katsushika Hokusai, ca. 1830–32Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Passengers in a Ferry Boat on the Sumida River, by Torii Kiyonaga, 1784
    Passengers in a Ferry Boat on the Sumida RiverTorii Kiyonaga, 1784Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 2, north wall

  1. Scene of Foxfire (Kitsunebi) from the Play Honchō nijūshikō, by Yōshū (Hashimoto) Chikanobu, 1898
    Scene of Foxfire (Kitsunebi) from the Play Honchō nijūshikōYōshū (Hashimoto) Chikanobu, 1898Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Foreign Business Establishment in Yokohama (Yokohama ijin shōkan uriba no zu), by Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide, 9th month, 1861
    Foreign Business Establishment in Yokohama (Yokohama ijin shōkan uriba no zu)Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide, 9th month, 1861Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 3, north wall

  1. A color woodblock print of a large crashing wave, looms over two narrow boats full of people. Mt Fuji in the background. There is a faint peach colored sky.
    Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as The Great Wave, from the series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei)"Katsushika Hokusai, 1830/33Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. A work made of color woodblock print; uchiwa-e.
    Morning Glories, Pinks, and Maiden Flower, from the series "Seven Autumn Flowers in Moonlight"Utagawa Hiroshige, 1830/44Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A work made of color woodblock print.
    Women and Children Viewing the FireworksKatsushika Hokusai, c. 1798Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 3, south wall

  1. A work made of color woodblock print.
    Procession of Russian Marching Band, from the Album of seven prints of Russian Army and Warship (Roshia seigi shashin kan), 1853Keiga, 1853Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. Kanō, from the series Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō, by Utagawa Hiroshige, c. 1835–37
    Kanō, from the series Sixty-nine Stations of the KisokaidōUtagawa Hiroshige, c. 1835–37Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art