Japan Ukiyo-e Museum

The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum in Matsumoto City, Nagano houses the largest collection of Edo-era ukiyo-e (“floating world”) woodblock prints in the world. The museum grew out of the Sakai family collection, which began in the late 18th century with Sakai Heisuke Yoshiaki, a wealthy merchant who had a passion for art. Successive generations expanded and safeguarded the collection, eventually founding the museum in 1982 to make it accessible to the public.
Visitors can see masterpieces from the great ukiyo-e masters, including Hokusai’s dramatic landscapes, Hiroshige’s lyrical travel scenes, and Utamaro’s portraits of elegant women. The museum also has rare early prints and hand-painted works, some of which are not displayed elsewhere. A distinctive feature of the museum is its ability to occasionally show prints across different stages of printing—from first impressions to later editions—revealing how ukiyo-e were produced and circulated.
For travelers, the museum offers an excellent introduction to how ukiyo-e shaped Japanese visual culture and influenced artists worldwide. Exhibitions change regularly, so no two visits are the same.