Glossary

Glossary of terms used in Ukiyo-e

Awabi-tori	Abalone Divers (Ama)
Bijin-ga	Pictures of beautiful women
Dandies	Men unduly concerned with looking stylish and fashionable
Edo	Edo is the old name for Tokyo
Edo Period	The Edo period (江戸時代 Edo jidai) 1603-1868 when Japanese society was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. Also known as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa jidai)
E-hon	Picture book
Gafu	Album
Green Houses	Another word for Japanese Brothels
Hanga	A print or printed picture
Kabuki	Theatre actors known for wearing elaborate make-up
Kacho-ga	paintings of flowers and birds
Kento	Woodblock registration mark
Oiran	High ranking courtesan
Parody	An imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.
Samurai	“one who serves” Elite Military
Shamisen	Long necked instrument with 3 strings
Shogun	Military dictators of Japan from 1185-1868
Shunga	Spring pictures
Tokugawa	Family of hereditary shogun from Edo period
Ukiyo(-e)	Floating World (pictures)
Waka	Japanese poetry
Yoshiwara	Licensed brothel quarter (yakuku) in Edo
Wakashū	Beautiful youth
Print Sizes
Chuban	A medium print 10x7 (26cmx19cm)
Hashira-e	"pillar print", about 28 by 4.5 inches (73 by 13 cm)
Hosoban	a narrow print size about 13 by 5 inches (33 by 14.5 cm)
Mameban	a print size about 4.75 by 3.2 inches (12 by 8 cm), sometimes called a "toy print"
Ōban	a large print size about 15½ by 10½ inches (39 by 26.5 cm)
Shikishiban	a print size about 8 by 7 inches (21 by 18 cm) often used for surimono