Utagama Hiroshige (1797-1858) is Japan's internationally known artist of the pre-modern period. After an overview of Japan's economy and culture and discussion of Hiroshige's life 135 of his woodblock prints show the diversity of his oeuvre. Hiroshige's publishers, his methods of work, the pressures which drove his output of some 5000 designs are discussed. The prints are drawn from his early work illustrating poetry and books related to birds, flowers, beautiful women and landscape and of the Edo area. Later works show new techniques in the famous Views of Edo and of Mount Fuji. With biographical chronology and bibliography.