Ryoko was a ukiyo-e artist active in Edo from the late Edo period through the early Meiji era. Working in a style rooted in the Utagawa school, he left a notable mark particularly in satirical prints that reflect the turbulence of the times, as well as in the genre of kaika-e depicting Japan’s rapid modernization.
Around the Bunkyu era, at the end of the Edo period, he began to attract attention through illustrations for dodoitsu verses. From the Keio years into the early Meiji period, he produced numerous caricatures that wryly commented on contemporary political conditions, along with vividly colored works portraying Western-style architecture and modern urban scenes, such as the Tsukiji Hotel.
In this sense, Ryoko can be seen as one of the artists who, while firmly grounded in the traditional techniques of ukiyo-e, took on a quasi-journalistic role by swiftly capturing the image of Tokyo as it underwent rapid Westernization.
Around the Bunkyu era, at the end of the Edo period, he began to attract attention through illustrations for dodoitsu verses. From the Keio years into the early Meiji period, he produced numerous caricatures that wryly commented on contemporary political conditions, along with vividly colored works portraying Western-style architecture and modern urban scenes, such as the Tsukiji Hotel.
In this sense, Ryoko can be seen as one of the artists who, while firmly grounded in the traditional techniques of ukiyo-e, took on a quasi-journalistic role by swiftly capturing the image of Tokyo as it underwent rapid Westernization.
