Internet and Culture: Website of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts released a collection of woodblock prints by Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige

A collection of over 1000 delightful woodblock prints by Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) is available on the website of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (USA).

For over 200 years, beginning in the 1630s, Japan had been completely isolated from the world. Its capital, Edo, was considered the largest city in the world. There lived more than one million people, natives only.

But the people of Edo left a rich archive that gives an idea of Japan's life during the years of isolation. There were many high-skilled people in literature and fine art in Japan.

Utagawa Hiroshige's late "pictures of the flying world" provide one of the most impressive concepts of Japan's life, shortly before its rediscovery to the world.

Now, the digital collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts with over 1,000 of Hiroshige's works is available for viewing and downloading. Hiroshige created about 8,000 woodblock prints. He depicted not only the Edo sights but also views from all nooks of his country. At the end of life, he managed to convey the vanishing traditions.