Yokohama-e

Utagawa Sadahide 'Foreigners in the Drawing Room of Foreign Merchant's House in Yokohama', 1861

 

Yokohama-e are a genre of ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) depicting foreigners who were residing in Yokohama, a former fishing village turned into a port-city in 1859 to serve as a base for foreign trade near Edo. 

This print was made by Utagawa Sadahide in 1861. Utagawa was (and still is) known for his prints representing 'exotic' elements such as the Opium War, Ainu people, maps of the world, and, of course, Yokohama-e. His depiction often juxstapose foreigners and Japanese. Utagawa was a member of the Shogunate's delegation to the Exposition Universelle of Paris in 1867. 

There is little evidence of how these Yokohama-e were received, though the number of copies and the positive nature of these artworks suggest they were quite popular (possibly amongst foreigners as well). These representations of foreigners by Japanese artists contrasts the Sonnō jōi mouvement ( 尊 王 攘 夷, Revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians) that swept the country, particularily in Kyoto, during the Bakumatsu. 

More: M. William Steele, Alternative Narratives in Modern Japanese History (chapter 2) ISBN: 0415305705