Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: Shunga

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Shunga

春画
alternative words: Shun-ga, Shun ga, Erotic ukiyoe, Ukiyoe shunga
keywords: art , ukiyoe
related topics: Edo period , Ukiyoe , Hishikawa Moronobu , Katsushika Hokusai
related web sites: http://ptt01.ptt.co.jp/tnl/ukiyoe-j.htm , http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~gaia-j/u.sakuhin.html
explanation: During Edo period, inhabitants of great towns like Tokyo and Osaka could enjoy divers entertainment, thanks to a warless state of more than 2 centuries, and also due to an imperfection of laws. For example, famous ukiyoe artists like Hishikawa Moronobu, Kitagawa Utamaro or Katsushika Hokusai, were competing for the publication of shunga, i.e. wooden prints which detail sex scenes. Accompanied with abundant comments, they serve as an enlightenment of the public, too.