8 Ukiyo-e Show Snow in Edo Period Japan

Court ladies showing a giant snow cat to a young prince Genji
 after the first snow (print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi)

November snowfalls in Tokyo, a city with typically dry winters, are rare. The last was in November 1962.  Spoon & Tamago took a look at some ukiyo-e that illustrate what snowfall was like in Edo-period Japan (1603-1868).

Building snow sculptures seems like a popular activity anywhere, but in Edo period Japan
the “snow daruma” was more appropriate (print by Hiroshige Utagawa)

Two girls make a a snow dog (Print by Harunobu Suzuki)

This is one of the more iconic views of snowy Edo and part of the series
 “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (print by Utagawa Hiroshige)

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