Resources

Automobile Culture Materials Collection
Nishiki-e

Nishiki-e

Nishiki-e is a type of Japanese multicolored woodblock printing that emerged in the mid-Edo period (ca. the eighteenth century). Nishiki-e quickly gained widespread popularity as an advertising medium, effectively capturing the trends and spirit of the times. During the Meiji period (1868−1912), waves of modernization transformed many aspects of Japanese life, including transportation. Many nishiki-e prints from this period depict previously unfamiliar vehicles, such as horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws, illustrating the process of rapid traffic modernization.
The Toyota Automobile Museum holds approximately 110 nishiki-e prints that provide valuable insights into the history and culture of vehicles in Japan before the introduction of the automobile. A selection of these prints, organized by theme, is on display at the museum.
* The nishiki-e prints shown here represent only a part of the collection. Some may not be on display at this time.