Who Was Utagawa Hiroshige? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” and Where to See Them

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) was an ukiyo-e artist of the late Edo period. He became a popular artist with “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” scenes of travel along the great highway, and is known for landscape prints that capture the changing seasons and weather with poetic feeling. His final series, “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo,” is also famous for having been copied by Van Gogh. The Tokyo National Museum is showing every print of his three great series in an exhibition running until December 20. Here is a guide to his life, his major works and where to see them today.

Hiroshige’s life: from fire brigade officer to master of landscape

Hiroshige was born in 1797 into the Ando family, officers of the shogunate’s fire brigade stationed at Yayosugashi in Edo. After losing both parents at 13, he inherited the family post, and around the age of 15 he became a pupil of Utagawa Toyohiro, who granted him the name Utagawa Hiroshige the following year, 1812. He at first produced actor prints and pictures of beautiful women without much success, and in 1823 he is said to have handed the family post to a relative to devote himself to art.

His breakthrough came around 1833, when “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido” (the Hoeido edition), depicting the post towns of the Tokaido, became a sensation and made him a leading landscape artist. He went on to produce many more works, including Tokaido and Edo scenes and bird-and-flower prints, and continued working after shaving his head in his later years. He died in 1858 while his final series, “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo,” was still being published. He is sometimes called “Ando Hiroshige,” but Ando was his family name and Hiroshige his art name, and he is said never to have used that combination himself.

Major works

“The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido” (Hoeido edition, from around 1833)

A series of 55 prints covering the 53 post towns of the Tokaido plus its starting point, Nihonbashi in Edo, and its end, the Sanjo Bridge in Kyoto. Well-known designs include “Nihonbashi: Morning View,” with a daimyo procession setting out at dawn, “Kambara: Night Snow,” with its snowy stillness, and “Shono: Driving Rain,” with travelers hurrying through a sudden shower. Hiroshige went on to produce many more Tokaido series for various publishers.

“The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido” (Tenpo era)

A series depicting the post towns of the Nakasendo highway, which Hiroshige produced in collaboration with Keisai Eisen. At the Tokyo National Museum’s Hiroshige exhibition, “Seba” is highlighted as a key work of the second period.

“One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (1856–58)

Hiroshige’s final series, comprising more than 100 views of famous places in Edo. It is known for bold vertical compositions that crop a large object in the foreground and set it against a distant view. “Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake” and “Plum Park in Kameido,” with an old plum tree filling the foreground, are famous for having been copied in oil by Van Gogh. The highlights of each design are covered in 12 famous ukiyo-e masterpieces.

What is “Hiroshige blue”?

The deep, vivid and translucent blue used in Hiroshige’s landscape prints is known as “Hiroshige blue.” In the early 19th century, Prussian blue, a synthetic pigment imported from the West, came into wide use in ukiyo-e, and Hiroshige used it to render skies and water.

Influence on Western painters

In 1887, Van Gogh copied “Plum Park in Kameido” and “Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake” from “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” in oil. Monet and other Impressionists also collected ukiyo-e and learned from their compositions and use of color. Read more in our article on Japonisme.

Where to see Hiroshige’s work

• Tokyo National Museum (Ueno, Tokyo): The special exhibition “Utagawa Hiroshige: Edo’s Best Angles” runs until December 20. It shows every print of the three great series over three periods: “The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido” in the second period (until November 23) and “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” in the third (November 25–December 20) (article on the exhibition).

• Nakagawa-machi Bato Hiroshige Museum of Art (Nakagawa, Tochigi Prefecture): Opened in 2000 based on a donated collection, including paintings by Hiroshige, assembled by the businessman Aoki Tosaku. The building was designed by Kengo Kuma, and its roof and exterior walls were renovated in 2025–26. The special exhibition “Ken Honda and Utagawa Hiroshige: A Contemporary Artist on Hiroshige” runs until December 6.

• Shizuoka City Tokaido Hiroshige Museum of Art (Yui, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City): Opened in 1994 on the site of the main inn of Yui, a post town on the Tokaido, as the first museum in Japan named after Hiroshige. It has been closed since June 2026 for equipment replacement work and is scheduled to reopen in early April 2027.

• Ota Memorial Museum of Art (Harajuku, Tokyo): A museum dedicated to ukiyo-e. Works are shown in rotation, so check the official website for upcoming displays of Hiroshige. An exhibition of Katsushika Oi runs until December 6 (article on the exhibition).

There are also installations that let you experience ukiyo-e as moving images. The “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” at the Gifu City Museum of History (until January 11, 2027) creates video spaces based on more than 300 ukiyo-e by Hokusai, Hiroshige and others, and the permanent “Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA” is scheduled to open in Ginza, Tokyo, in spring 2027 (article on the opening). Hokusai is covered in our guide to Katsushika Hokusai.

For Kitagawa Utamaro, see our guide to his life, major works and where to see them.

Frequently asked questions

What are Hiroshige’s most famous works?

His three great series are the best known: “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido” (Hoeido edition), “The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido,” made with Keisai Eisen, and his final “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.” From the last, “Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake” and “Plum Park in Kameido” are famous as works Van Gogh copied.

How many prints are in “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido”?

The Hoeido edition has 55 prints: the 53 post towns of the Tokaido plus Nihonbashi, the starting point, and Kyoto, the end.

Are “Ando Hiroshige” and “Utagawa Hiroshige” different people?

They are the same person. Ando was his family name and Hiroshige his art name; he is said never to have called himself “Ando Hiroshige,” and today “Utagawa Hiroshige” is the standard name.

Where can I see Hiroshige’s work?

At the Tokyo National Museum’s special exhibition “Utagawa Hiroshige: Edo’s Best Angles” (until December 20) and at the Nakagawa-machi Bato Hiroshige Museum of Art in Tochigi Prefecture, among others. The Shizuoka City Tokaido Hiroshige Museum of Art is closed until the end of March 2027. Ukiyo-e are displayed in rotation, so check each museum’s schedule if there is a particular work you want to see.

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: The “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” and the “Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA” introduced in this article are, respectively, an event planned and produced by and a facility produced by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

For the latest information on events by HITOHATA, INC., see HITOHATA, INC.’s event page.

*Top image: Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU (from a press release by TV Aichi Broadcasting Co., Ltd.)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements from museums (as of November 9, 2026) and general art-historical knowledge of Utagawa Hiroshige.