Take a trip to nineteenth-century Tokyo!
For the first time in over two decades, you can see Utagawa Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo at the Brooklyn Museum.
From lumberyards to destination restaurants to gardens full of cherry blossoms in bloom, Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858) captured scenes of Tokyo, then known as Edo, in 118 woodblock prints. Individually, each print is a masterpiece. Together, they tell the story of a city through the eyes of an artist who loved it well.
These rare prints have been kept largely in the dark to preserve their vibrancy—until now. To celebrate the complete collection’s return to public display, beloved artist Takashi Murakami (born Tokyo, Japan, 1962) has created 121 brand-new pieces in direct response to Hiroshige’s prints.
This exhibition is a perfect marriage of old treasures and bold new perspectives. We hope you’ll come see them, starting today!
Can you tell which of these artworks was made by Utagawa Hiroshige in 1857 and which was just created by Takashi Murakami this year?
Murakami has been recreating Hiroshige’s prints—and adding his signature vibrancy and detail along the way.
While Hiroshige’s prints in 100 Famous Views of Edo are all slightly under 15 inches, Murakami invites us to look closer at some scenes by blowing them up. Here, Murakami's recreation (on the right) stands at over 11 feet tall!
Our curator Joan Cummins recently traveled to Japan to visit Murakami’s studio and check out his work. Here’s a sneak peek.
→ BROOKLYN MUSEUM x BOTANIC GARDEN
Make it an extra special day: After viewing gorgeous floral scenes in the prints, visit our delightful neighbor Brooklyn Botanic Garden! Let inspiration bloom!
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238
From top: Utagawa Hiroshige. Silk-Goods Lane, Ōdenma-chō (Ōdenma-chō gofukudana), no. 74 from 100 Famous Views of Edo, 7th month of 1858. Woodblock print. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.74. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum); Utagawa Hiroshige. Horikiri Iris Garden (Horikiri no Hanashōbu), no. 64 from 100 Famous Views of Edo, 5th month of 1857. Woodblock print. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.64. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum); Utagawa Hiroshige. Suidō Bridge and Surugadai (Suidōbashi Surugadai), no. 48 from 100 Famous Views of Edo, 5th month of 1857. Woodblock print. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.48. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum); Utagawa Hiroshige. Cotton-Goods Lane, Ōdenma-chō (Ōdenma-chō momendana), no. 7 from 100 Famous Views of Edo, 4th month of 1856. Woodblock print. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.7. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum); Utagawa Hiroshige. Suidō Bridge and Surugadai (Suidōbashi Surugadai), no. 48 from 100 Famous Views of Edo, 5th month of 1857. Woodblock print. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.48. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum); Takashi Murakami. Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo: Japonisme Reconsidered—Suidō Bridge and Surugadai, 2024. Acrylic on canvas mounted on wood panel, 137 13/16 × 89 9/ 16 in. (350 × 227.5 cm). ©2024 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian; Image courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum Shop; Brooklyn Museum exterior view with cherry blossoms. (Photo: Khamaali Vernon)
Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo (feat. Takashi Murakami) is organized by Joan Cummins, Lisa and Bernard Selz Senior Curator, Asian Art, Brooklyn Museum.
