The Floating World

It was about this point I started looking quite deeply into the concept of the floating world or ukiyo that brought about ukiyo-e printing and it was only after reading several different journalistic accounts and takes on it that I realised, the floating world is something very open to interpretation and quite possibly something that each of us carries uniquely.

"During Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868) the phrase "the floating world" (ukiyo) evoked an imagined universe of wit, stylishness, and extravagance—with overtones of naughtiness, hedonism, and transgression. Implicit was a contrast to the humdrum of everyday obligation."

This description of the floating world seemed most fitting to me, as others were trying to claim it was specifically the edo region had to be pictured or that it must include a specific set of iconography to be considered ukiyo-e. I think that's probably not the case and instead was closer to what is described above. Ukiyo-e images reflected a certain characteristic, they had a shared personality that can be read in the quote above.