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Utagawa Hiroshige, born Andō Hiroshige, was the master of woodblock design, known for his landscapes and ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) prints.

He grew up in Edo, now known as Tokyo, his family was samurai heritage, but both of his parents died before he was twelve. He became an apprentice to Toyohiro of the Utagawa school, he also studied the style of the Kanō school and probably examples of Western perspective. His work is known for the subtle shading of color and the poetic way in which he handled his subject matter. His most famous works were The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, a horizontal series, and One Hundred Views of Edo, a vertical formatted series.

Hiroshige was also a well-known teacher. His pupil Chinpei Suzuki married Hiroshige\’s daughter Otatsu and changed his name to Shigenobu. After Hiroshige\’s death, Suzuki/Shigenobu adopted Hiroshige\’s name as his own, as his heir, and became known as Hiroshige II. Otatsu separated from Hiroshige II and married another former pupil, Shigemasa, who became known as Hiroshige III.

Hiroshige never became wealthy from his artwork even though he was famous during his own lifetime. He became a Buddhist monk two years before his death, but continued his art. He is buried in a Zen temple in Asakusa.