Utagawa Kuniyoshi was one of the most prominent ukiyo-e artists (ukiyo-e: pictures of the floating world) during the Edo period (1600-1868). He created portraits and triptychs, and his prints include scenes from the theatre, beautiful women, landscapes, parody pictures, heroes, ghosts and demons. They depict life in Japan and the legends, adventures, wars, heroes and poet-warriors of Japanese history. The prints are dramatic, and expressive of Kuniyoshi's imagination.
Kuniyoshi was a fine teacher, and had many students of the Utagawa School. Among the most prominent were Yoֹshitoֹshi, Yoֹshiiּku, Yoֹshitoֹra, Yoֹshikazuּ and Yoֹshifuּji. His young apprentices worked mainly in the "pictures of warriors" (musha-e) genre, but later developed their own innovative styles.